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CALIFORNIA STATE SERIES 
APPROVED BY STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION 



CALIFORNIA 



THE STORY OF OUR STATE 



PERCY FRIARS VALENTINE 

Instructor in History and Civics 
San Francisco State Normal School 




SACRAMENTO 
Robert L. Telfer - - Superintendent State Printing 



// 



■^ 



si, f V 



CALIFORNIA 



THE STORY OF OUR STATE 




PERCY FRIARS VALENTINE 



California State Printing Office 



Copyright, i(^/6 
By The People of the State of California 



P. ^^ D. 
JUL 10 1919 



V^ 



(§'CI.A43e397 



r 



THE TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Page 

The Spanish Explorers and Priests Who iNTRonucEn Cali- 
fornia TO THE World 3 

The Days of the Sea Rovers 3 

The March of Portola 6 

Junipero Serra and His Great Work 10 

The Russians in California 15 

Their Coming and Going 15 

The Days of Spanish California 17 

How the Spanish Built 17 

The Rancho and Its Life 18 

How the Americans Came and Opened a Hidden Treasure . . 21 

The Strangers 21 

California Won for the United States 24 

James Marshall Discovers Gold 28 

The Days of Gold 31 

The Making of a State 36 

California Joins the Union 36 

Stirring Times 39 

The Coming of the Railroad 44 

Forging Onward 45 

The Things That Have Been Done 52 

The Recent Years 52 

Triumphs in Literature and Art 61 

Today and Tomorrow 63 



CALIFORNIA 
THE STORY OF OUR STATE 



World 



THE SPANISH EXPLORERS AND PRIESTS WHO 
INTRODUCED CALIFORNIA TO THE WORLD 

THE DAYS OF THE SEA ROVERS 

1. Following Columbus. No man ever carried greater 
news to a people than did Columbus. Westward, across the 

Sea of Darkness, there was land! Columbus and others The lure 

' of the 

thought it was India for a while ; but not for long. Brave Nev 
sailors soon found that a great new continent lay to the west 
There was an unknown land where strange natives lived, where 
gold could be found, and kings and men made rich. There was 
a land promising adventure, where fame could be won, and 
where conquests could be made for the princes of Europe. 
And there, too, was a savage people whom the good mission- 
aries of the church could convert to Christianity. Is it any 
wonder that daring men got ships and crews and soldiers, and 
sailed to the great New World? 

You have learned of some of these men, — of Balboa, who led Great 

explorers 
his followers across the Isthmus of Panama and discovered 

the blue Pacific ; of De Soto, who guided his band of explorers 

through the wilds of an unknown continent to the shores of 

the Mississippi ; of Magellan, the first man to sail westward 

across the Pacific ; of Cortes, who, with gun and sword, won 

the land of Mexico for the Spanish king. 

2. The California Indians. While these men and many The 
others were exploring and conquering parts of the New World, caM-"^ 
California remained unknown to the white men. But there fo^nians 
were people of the Indian race living here. In the north lived 

the ]\Iodocs and other strong, rugged tribes. They were a 
powerful, fighting race, very much like the Indians of the East, 



4 The Story of Our State 

Among the islands off our southern coast were other brge, 
strong tribes. But in the larger part of the state lived Indians 
of a very different kind. They were smaller, more peace- 
loving, and lazier than the Indians of the north. 
They These Indian people knew little about clothing. Indeed, the 

lived a . . 

barbaric men and children had very little to protect them from the sum- 
mer's sun and the winter's rain. The women wore a kind of 
rough skirt made from braided grass, and over their shoulders 
sometimes hung a cloak made from the skin of a deer or from 
rabbits' fur. 

The Indians lived together in little villages of wretched huts. 

These huts were made by sticking willow branches into the 

ground, in the form of a circle, and fastening them all together 

at one place at the top. Over these branches a covering of 

matted grass was placed, and the house was done. 

The As it has been with all Indian tribes, the women did most of 

d'id'The ^'^^ work. They took the part of carpenters, and built the 

work houses ; they did the cooking and took care of the babies ; they 

hunted for berries and acorns, wove baskets from grass, and 

made their own clothing. This left nothing for the men to do 

but to hunt for fish and game. The men might have done a 

little farming, if they had known how ; but planting seeds and 

raising their own grain was something they had never learned 

Such were the Indians who lived in the larger part of 

California when the great explorers and discoverers were 

making their voyages. They were a simple and harmless 

people. For centuries they lived in the valleys and hills without 

seeing a single white man ; and no white man saw them. But 

all this was to be changed. 

Cabriiio 3. Voyages Along the Coast. In the year 1542, just fifty 

discovers 

Cali- years after the discovery of America, two clumsy, old fashioned 

"''"'^ ships sailed along the coast of California. From their mast- 
heads, above the swelling sails, floated the flag of Spain. Upon 



The Story of Our State 



the high deck of the foremost vessel stood a stern, weather- 
beaten man. He was Juan Cabrillo, the discoverer of 
CaHfornia. 

The Spaniards had already found what we call the Peninsula 
of Lower California, and had made some settlements there. It 
was Cabrillo's part to lead the way to the land that now makes 
up our great state. 

Driven by a high wind, he plunged northward till he reached 
San Diego bay. Here he stopped for a while, being the first 
white man to touch its 
sands. Again he put to 

sea, and after many days A^J 

sighted another harbor. 
This was our famous 




SPANISH SHIPS OF CABRILLO S TIMH 



Monterey bay. Into it he 

sailed, but the weather 

was so stormy that no 

landing could be made. 

The brave captain pressed 

farther northward. After 

days of hardship, battered by the winds of winter, he came 

almost within sight of the Golden Gate. And here, never 

dreaming of the fine harbor so close at hand, he turned back. 

For a great many years no other explorer touched our shores. 
A few merchant ships, sailing from the Philippines, came 
within sight of the land but did not stop. They continued their 
voyage to jNIexico and on to Spain. But one day in June in 
the year 1579, a vessel heavy-laden with gold and other treasure 
landed on the sands of a little inlet, thirty miles north of the 
Golden Gate. It was the vessel of Sir Francis Drake, a great 
English seaman. 

Robbing the ships and towns of his Spanish enemies as he 
came, Drake had crossed the Atlantic, sailed around South 
America, then north along our western coast. Deciding that 



He al- 
most 
finds the 
Golden 
Gate 



Drake 
makes a 
landing 
on the 
coast 



6 Tlic Story of Our State 

J^9. his ship was in need of repair, he sought a harbor, and 

Indians ^ i o ^ 

worship landed at what we now call Drake's bay, in his honor. Here 
he stayed for a month, worshipped by the natives, who thought 
he was a god. Every day, in company with his officers, Drake 
took journeys inland. It seems very strange that in all this 
time he did not discover the great bay 
of San Francisco. He finally sailed 
away, much to the regret of the 
Indians, after placing a monument 
there on which words were engraved 
which said that the land was claimed 
in the name of the queen of England. 

Viscaino ^^^^I^>»^M^^ After Drake, a few other daring 

'a"dsat jiS^m^^^m4 1 ATA, 1 . , - 

many ,=d(S^WSS?^''^^^ explorers came, ihe best known ot 
P'^°®s ^^^S^»cfl' ', these was Sebastian Mscaino, a Span- 

iard. Seeking good harbors where the 
ships from the Philippines might rest, 
'"'"' ' this man visited San Diego bay, Santa 

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE CataHua island, Monterey bay, and sev- 

eral other places. This was in 1602, five years before the 
settlement of Jamestown on the Atlantic coast. 

For a hundred and fifty years after Viscaino, no important 
voyages were made along our coast. No explorers went into 
the land. California seemed to be forgotten. 

the; march of portola 

Spanish 4. New Spain. While the English colonies in North 

dominion . . • , .'^ ^ . , , . 

in the America were growmg and prospermg, Spanish colonies were 

I^f^ij being made in Central and South America. Cortes, the con- 
World '^ 

queror of Mexico, and Pizarro, the conqueror of Peru, had 
begun these settlements. After them, many Spanish towns had 
grown up and were inhabited by men who had come to the 
New World to seek their fortunes. Many priests also had 
come to this new Spanish land to build missions and to convert 




The Story of Our State 7 

the Indians to Christianity. On the mainland of Mexico, and 
on the peninsula of Lower California, the Spaniards had grown 
to be quite powerful. There was a royal governor appointed 
by the Spanish king. Their country was called New Spain. 

Because of the discoveries of Cabrillo, Viscaino and others, 
the Spaniards claimed the land lying north of Mexico — 
all the land that now makes up the southwestern states of our 
I^nion. California was theirs, but they took no steps to explore 
it. To them it was but a great, unknown wilderness, inhabited 
only by Indians and wild animals. 

At last, however, the governor of New Spain decided to An expe- 
send men northward to see what the country of California was planned 
like. They were given orders to make an exploration and to 
build forts. 

5. Portola's Expedition. Part of the little army of ex- Explor- 
plorers set sail from La Paz, in Lower California, and headed ^^^ ^y 
for the bay of San Diego by the sea route. The others started sea and 
overland in two parties, under the leadership of Caspar de 
Portola, a Spanish captain. With Portola went a famous 
Catholic priest. Father Junipero Serra. The year of the expedi- 
tion was 1769, just six years before the Revolutionary war, 
which began in 1775. 

Portola's party would have been an interesting one to see. portoia's 

At its head rode the captain in his armor, and close behind him '^^nd of 

adven- 
came the other officers of the expedition. After these were turers 

mounted Spanish soldiers, wearing breast plates made from the 
hides of steers, and carrying lances, guns and leather shields. 
Next came the foot soldiers ; and with them were the priests 
who bravely made the journey afoot, unwilling to ride when 
others had to walk. Following these were Mexican Indians, 
leading mules on which were laden the food and other pro- 
visions. At the rear, in a great cloud of dust, a herd of cattle 
struggled along, driven by Indians. 



8 The Story of Our State 

They Many were the trials and hardships of Portola and his 

through companions. For fifty-one days they toiled over burning sands 

fand'"''^" and through rocky passes. Many of the men were taken sick 

and had to be carried in litters. But day after day, in spite of 

weariness and discouragement, they pushed on. Where all men 

were brave, none was braver than the padre, Junipero Serra. 

Suffering great pain from a 

wounded leg, he marched 

each day with the strongest 

men. His companions urged 

him to take a horse, or be 

carried like the other sick 

men, but he would not heed 

them. The great purpose of 

his life was to build missions 

and teach Christianity to the 

natives of the new land. 

San f'' ^ Vi MW^ l/'W^ At last the weary journey 

[jgy^g ' ^ ^ ^ ^ cauic to au end. One day the 

reached junipero serra foremost riders reached a 

The Father of the Missions hiUtop, and there bcfore them 

were the blue waters and the white sands of San Diego bay. 

And better still, on the beach were the tents of those of their 

party who had come in ships. The object of the expedition had 

been won. It was the first step in the building of our state. 

Junipero g Mission San Diego. Now came the time for which 

Serra ° 

founds Father Serra had hoped and prayed. The first mission was to 
Mission be built, and this Christian man could begin his great work 
among the heathen. With care, he and his followers unpacked 
the bells which they had brought for this one purpose. These 
were hung from a tree, and while a converted Indian solemnly 
rang the chimes. Father Serra stood forth holding a cross. As 
the sound of the bells floated out upon the still air, the rest of 




San 
Diego 



The Story of Our State g 

the party broke forth in a pious hymn. Then a sermon was 
preached. In this simple way was founded the Mission 
San Diego, the first of the many missions now so famous in 
Cahfornia. 
7. San Francisco Bay Discovered. Governor Portola took Jhe first 

, ^. . journey 

possession of San Diego bay in the name of the King of Spain, through 
Then, with a band of picked followers, he turned again north- f^fp^ia 
ward. This time his object was to find the bay of Monterey, 
and build a fort there. The hardships of this second juorney 
were as great as those of the first. The land was unknown and 
full of unfriendly Indians. Steep mountains and swift rivers 
M^ere to be crossed. The supply of food ran low. Many of 
the men were taken sick and had to be carried in hammocks 
swung between mules. Amid such trials, the brave party 
marched on in search of Monterey bay. 

The strange part of the story is that the men found the bay Monterey 
for wdiich they were looking but did not know it when they f^^^j 
saw it. It did not seem to be the bay which Mscaino who had but not 

recog- 

been there one hvmdred and fifty years before had written nized 
about. There was nothing to do but to press on. Winter had 
begun to set in, and the rains fell. Nearly all the men were 
now sick. In this sad condition the party reached a spot near 
Montara. This place is on the ocean shore just south of San 
PVancisco. Here the weary men camped and rested. 

There was a soldier in the party named Ortega. This man, Portola's 
with a few companions, went out to explore, while the others ^f^overs 
stayed in camp. For three days Ortega and his friends San 
tramped over the hills that lie south of the Golden Gate. 
Mounting a hilltop, they saw spread out before them the placid 
waters of a great and imknown bay. It was the harbor of San 
Francisco, peacefully awaiting the day when the commerce of 
the world should ride upon its waters. 

When they reached Portola, in camp, Ortega reported what 
he had seen. But Portola decided that tlie men were too weak 



CISCO 

bay 



lo The Story of Our State 

The to go forward. They must return without loss of time. And 

enter^s ''^ ■'^o the party turned back, carrying to their comrades at San 
*^® , Diego the news of the 'fine new harbor. Six years later a 

Golden ^ . -^ 

Gate Spanish ship, the San Carlos, entered and explored the port of 

San Francisco. That was in the year 1775^ the year of the 
battle of Bunker Hill. 

JUNIPERO SERRA AND HIS GREAT WORK 

8. A Noble Life's Work. In the history of California 
there is no greater name than that of Father Junipero Serra 
This noble man truly believed that God had appointed him to 
teach Christianity to the Indians of our land. In this work, 

he suffered pains and 
The A -}. endured hardships that 

strength /'^a ^-^ 111 

and '^^m^ \ would liavc meant death 

iunUro &^P^^^ *° '"'^"^ ""'"• ^"^ ^^'""'^ 

Serra ■^^^*^^'^T^^%^i'A^ ^-1 ^^'^^ none like Father 

^^^^^^p.g'l ! ^Rl '. l^^^yr- Serra. Though weak and 

"ii^S''' wlJi'J^?^'''', ,' ^"^ -^'"'";-^^-'^-'^'""''' crippled through most of 

^'- '^yU- "-v^-a' had a strength that others 

had not. His strength 

MISSION SAN CARLOS DE MONTEREY AT CARMEL • 1 • i 1 • r V 

was m his sure belief that 
God would let him live to do his work because it was a good 
work. This firm belief, this deep faith, made him uncon- 
querable. And that is why he succeeded where others would 
have failed. 
Junipero Seeing the Mission San Diego well begun. Father Serra 
the turned his eyes northward. It was his purpose that the second 

San^Jose '^li'^sioii should be founded at the bay of Monterey. An expedi- 
tion was soon organized, and in due time set sail. With it went 
Father Serra and other priests. They landed on the shore of 
Monterey, and amid the ringing of chimes and the chanting of 
hymns, and with the wondering natives looking on, the second 



TJic Story of Our State ii 

mission was founded. San Carlos, it was called, but is now 
known as Carmel mission. 

With the priests had come Spanish soldiers. These men Monterey 
built a fort, and took possession of the land in the name of the '^ "^"''^ 
king of Spain. In time a settlement grew up there, and, 
together with the fort, it became known as the presidio of 
Monterey. It was the first capital of California. 

San Carlos became the home mission of Father Serra. There junipero 
he had his altar, and there he lived from time to time. But his converts 

and 

great work was not yet done. Under his direction, seven other befriends 
missions were built. Serra was the father president of them Indians 
all, and from his home at San Carlos, he traveled afoot from 
one to the other. From San Diego to San Francisco the 
Indians came to know him and to love him. In their sickness 
and trouble he visited them. At their festivals he shared their 
pleasures. He taught them to raise their own food and to 
clothe their bodies. He taught them his religion. When he 
died thousands of sorrowing natives followed his body to the 
grave. 

The work begun by Father Serra was continued by faithful Many 
priests after his death. Besides the nine missions founded by ^e bui'lt 
him, twelve others were built, the last at Solano, in 1823. We 
need not name all of them here. Several still stand, but in a 
sad condition of ruin. Among the more interesting of these are 
the following : the JMission San Juan Capistrano ; those at Santa 
Barbara, San Gabriel, San Luis Obispo, Carmel, and San 
Diego ; the Mission Dolores at San Francisco ; and the j\Iis- 
sions San Juan Bautista, San Miguel, San Luis Rey and Santa 
Inez. 

9. Life at the Missions. While the American colonies Cutoff 
were fighting for independence, and during the first few years rest"of 
of our Republic, the peaceful mission life was going on. the world 
Between the new American nation on the east and the Spanish 



12 



Tlic Story of Our State 




land of California on the west stretched a vast, unknown conti- 
nent. California was almost cut off from the rest of the world. 
Once in a while a trading ship entered the harbor of San Diego 
or Monterey or San Francisco. At times Spanish priests, 
merchants, or soldiers could be seen traveling along the high- 
way that led from mission to mission, almost the length of the 

state. This highway 

was called the Ca- 

mino Real, which 

means Royal Road. 

It has recently been 

marked by iron 

posts, with a bell at 

the top of each, and 

the name "El Ca- 

mino Real," so that 

loyal Californians 

shall remember it. 

The priests had brought with them seeds of the olive and of 

fruits, twigs of the grapevine, and grains. These were planted, 

miss'*ons^ and before long each mission was a garden spot. The Indians 

soon learned the ways of the whites. Thousands of them built 

their dwellings near the missions. They became like children 

and looked upon the priests as their fathers. 

Each mission was the center of a busy and peaceful life. 
Guided and taught by the priests, the Indians learned to plow 
the fields and gather the crops. Trades were taught, and on 
working days could be seen weavers, harness and saddle 
makers, basket makers, carpenters, workers with adobe bricks, 
blacksmiths, herdsmen, servants, all busy at their tasks. Each 
day at vespers the chimes were rung and prayers were said. 
On holy days and Sundays a hush fell over the scene, and the 
Indians, silent and worshipful, went in to servicer. 



SCENE AT MISSION DOLORES BEFORE THE PADRES 
WENT AWAY 



The 

Indians 

settle 



They are 
taught 
useful 
trades 



The Story of Our State 



13 



10. The End of the Missions. In 1821 the people of 
Mexico rebelled against Spain, and won their independence. 
After that, California was a part of the Mexican nation. It 
was not* long before the Mexican government sent forth an 
order which said that all 
the priests must give up 
their missions and their 
lands. And so the 
priests sadly gathered 
the holy things from the 
churches and went 
away. The sorrowing- 
natives followed them 
along the roads, plead- 
ing with them to return. 

In this way ended the 
mission days in Cali- 
fornia. But the good 
work done by the priests 
lived after them, and 
shall never be forgotten. 
The sad state of the mis- 
sions after the padres 
left is thus described by 
one of our writers :* 

"Some of the mission buildings, many of the flocks, and much 
of the land fell into the hands of men who had no possible right 
to them. Orchards and vineyards were cut down, cattle killed 
and stolen, and there was only ruin where a short time before 
there had been thousands of busy people leading comfortable 
lives. Soon the churches were neglected and began to crumble 
away, bats flew in and out of the broken arches, squirrels 



The 
priests 
sent 
away 




MISSION SAN LUIS REY 



The 

missions 
fall into 
decay 



"Bandini: History of California, Chap. IV. 



14 Tlic Story of Our State 

chattered fearlessly in the padre's dining room, and the only 
human visitor was some sad-hearted Indian worshiper, slip- 
ping- timidly into the desolate building to kneel alone before the 
altar." 
Indians Valuable as was the training which the padres gave the 

were Indians, it was not as permanent as it might have been, because 

helpless ' _ ^ ^ ' 

it did not effectively teach the Indians to take care of them- 
selves. That is why helplessness and poverty came to them 
after the padres went away. 
J^"® . , Before the missions were closed, many Spanish people had 

Spanish . . „ . . ^ 

settlers come to live in California. They built houses and towns. In 
many parts of the state were great cattle ranches owned by 
Spanish gentlemen. After the closing of the missions these 
people remained. They made California a valuable part of the 
Mexican republic. Before telling about them, however, a word 
must be said about the Russians in California. 

SUGGESTIONS INTENDED TO HEEP THE PUPIE 

The Leading Facts. /. While the explorations of the New 
World were going on, Indians were living in California. 
2. Fifty years after the discovery of America, Cabrillo visited 
San Diego and Monterey bays. 5. The Englishman, Drake, 
following Cabrillo, visited the coast. 4. In 1602 Viscaino 
came. 5. The governor of New Spain decided to send ex- 
plorers into Cahfornia. 6. Portola and Junipero Serra 
reached San Diego and founded a mission. 7. Portola led 
a party northward and discovered San Francisco bay. 
8. Junipero Serra built many missions for the purpose of 
converting the Indians, g. The Indians at the missions were 
taught the ways of civilization. 10. Mexico revolted from 
Spain and put an end to the mission life. 

Study Questions. /. What objects led explorers and 
travelers to the New World? 2. Describe the life of the early 
California Indians. ?. Tell about the voyage of Cabrillo. 
4. Whv is Sir Fra;ncis Drake remembered in California his- 
tory? 5. Why do we remember Viscaino? 6. What land 



The Story of Our State 15 

was called New Spain, and how did the Spaniards secure it? 
7. Why was Portola sent into California? 8. Describe 
Portola's expedition, p. Tell about the founding- of the Mis- 
sion San Diego. 10. Tell the story of the discovery of San 
Francisco bay. //. What was Junipero Serra's purpose in 
founding the missions of California? 12. What was strong 
and good about Serra's character? i^. Describe the life at 
the missions. 14. What brought an end to the mission life? 

Suggested Readings. Columbus to Cortes: Hunt, Cali- 
foniia the Golden, 1-23. 

California Indians: Winterburn, The Spanish in the 
Soitthzvest, 9-42; Bandini, History of California, 19-47; Hunt, 
California the Golden, 41-52; Markham, California the Won- 
derful, 47-66. 

Cabrillo : Bandini, History of California, 48-77 ; Winter- 
burn, The Spanish in the Southzvest, 83-86; Hood, Tales of 
Discovery on the Pacific Slope, 93-97. 

Drake: Bandini, History of California. 57-66; Hunt, Cali- 
fornia the Golden, 32-34; McMurray, Pioneers of the Rocky 
Mountains and the JVest, 201-224. 

ViscAiNO : Bandini, History of California, 67-73 ; Hunt, 
California the Golden, 35-39; Hood, Tales of Discovery on the 
Pacific Slope, 75-81. 

PoRTOEA : Hood, Tales of Discovery on tJie Pacific Slope, 
101-108; Eldredge, The March of Portola, 15-46. 

Junipero Serra and the Missions : Winterburn, The Span- 
ish in the Southzvest, 97-170; H. H. Jackson, California and 
the Missions, 3-101 ; Bandini, History of California, 74-105; 
Hunt, California the Golden, 71-102; Sexton, Stories of Cali- 
fornia, 8-19; Snedden, Docas: Markham, California the JCon- 
derful, 67-86. 



THE RUSSIANS IN CALIFORNIA 

THEIR COMING AND GOING 

11. Settlements Made. During the one hundred years 
between 1700 and 1800, bold Russian trappers and fur hunters 
were crossing from Siberia to x\laska. Several trading posts 



Russians 
come 
south- 
ward 



i6 The Story of Our State 

and settlements were made by them in Alaska, and that country 
became a Russian land. 
The In the early days of the California missions, the Russians 

began to come southward from Alaska. They wished to set 
up other trading posts in parts of the country where furs could 
and build be had. With this idea in mind, a party of them sailed down 

ments the coast of California to Bodega 

bay, ten miles north of the Russian 
river. Here they purchased some 
land from the Indians, for which it 
is said they paid "three blankets, 
three pairs of breeches, three hoes, 
two axes, and some trinkets." 

Thirty-five miles farther north, 
they built another settlement at what 
is now Fort Ross. This place be- 
came the headquarters of the gov- 
ernor of the Russian settlements in 
California. About sixty wooden 

OLD RUSSIAN CHAPEL AT FORT ROSS •' 

buildings were put up, among them a 
rough fort and a Russian church. The inhabitants of both 
settlements raised a few cattle, but their business was mostly 
hunting for furs and trading with the Indians. 
Captain 12. The Russians Leave. The Spanish were very jealous 
buys^'' oi the Russians in California. It was feared that the Russian 
them out government might get the ownership of a large part of the 
state. But before long the Russians decided to leave. Prob- 
ably they did not find the fur business so profitable as they had 
expected. In 1839 they sold their cattle and horses, one of 
their little ships, their cannon and muskets to Captain John A. 
Sutter. That was the end of the Russian settlement in Cali- 
fornia. The old Russian church at Fort Ross still stands to 
remind us of them. 




The Story of Our State 17 

THE DAYS OF SPANISH CALIFORNIA 

HOW THK SPANISH BUILT 

13. The Presidios. During the early days of the missions, Fortified 
the Spanish government sent soldiers into CaHfornia. The are built 
purpose of these soldiers was to guard the settlers against the 
Indians and to protect the land in case other nations should 

try to get it. Four forts were built in different parts of the 
state to serve as headquarters for the soldiers. About these 
forts small towns grew up, and were called presidios. By pre- 
sidio was meant a fortified town. The four settlements begun 
in this way by the Spanish were Monterey, San Francisco, 
San Diego and Santa Barbara. Of these towns, Monterey was 
the most important. For over fifty years it was the leading 
settlement. During most of that time, the Spanish governor 
lived there. It was the capital of California until 1845, when 
Los Angeles was made the capital. 

14. The Pueblos. When any nation gets new land, it Settlers 

J <^ are 

tries to persuade settlers to go there. Settlers make land needed 

valuable, because they build towns and roads, and grow crops 
and raise cattle. The priests and explorers who first came into 
California sent word to Spain that here was a land of won- 
derful soil and climate. It only needed settlers, they said, to 
make it one of the greatest colonies under the Spanish flag. 

In order to get the people to come here, Spain began the New- 
building of settlement towns, called pueblos. To build a pueblo, 
a fine site was chosen. Then a plaza was laid out, near the aged 
center. About this, in the form of a square, were built a 
church, a council house, a home for the chief officer, and other 
public buildings. To all settlers who wished to come land was 
given free, and they were loaned enough cattle and farming 
tools so that they could support themselves. In this way San 
Jose, Los Angeles, and Santa Cruz were begun. 



comers 
encour- 



i8 The Story of Our State 

The com- ^5^ ^j^g Houses. The old Spanish houses in CaHfornia 

Tortable , ^ 

adobe were built of the same material that the padres had used in 

building- the missions. They were made of adobe. By that we 
mean that they were built of mud bricks baked in the sun. The 
inside and outside of each house was plastered with a coating 
of mud, and painted with white lime. They were one or two 
stories in height, and covered on the roof with red tiles. Many 
of them were large and handsome mansions. They made very 
comfortable homes, protecting the family from the heat of 
summer and the cold of winter. The larger houses all had 
long, tile-roofed porches, where the children played, and where 
the family gathered in the warm evenings. Here, on the sum- 
mer nights, could be heard the music of mandolin and guitar, 
and often the clicking of feet in the Spanish dances. 

THE RANCHO AND ITS UFEJ 

Cattle 16. What a Rancho Was. While the missions and pre- 

raising is , . , ., 

carried sidios were bemg built, great cattle ranches were growmg up 
°" about them. A cattle ranch was called a rancho, and -the 

ranchers were known as ranchcros. From Sonoma to San 
Diego the rancheros had built their fine adobe houses, and 
turned loose their vast herds of cattle and sheep on the hills 
and fields. Their business was the selling of hides and tallow, 
and to get these, ships came from other parts of the world. 
17. A Visit to a Rancho. Let us imagine that we are 
riding up to one of these ranches to pay a visit. There is the 
ranchero with his sons, prancing toward us on their high- 
Hand- spirited horses. And such men to see, with their velvet 
^"^Tct'Zj trousers and jackets of green or gold or black, all decorated 

dressed j & & ' 

horse- with lace and gems ; with their high, broad-brimmed felt hats 
ornamented with gold and silver ; and with their saddles and 
bridles studded with the same precious metals. Dashing up 
to meet us, in a cloud of dust, are the cow-boys — the vaqucros 



Tlic Story of Our State 19 

as they were called. There are Indian servants going about 

their many chores. Some of them come up and take our horses. 

We are met with a hearty welcome. The owner and his sons Sefioras 

take us to the house. They lead us to the shaded porch, and ^^^qj.\^^^ 

here we meet the scnora, the owner's wife. She introduces us 

to the seTwritas, her daughters, dark-eyed, laughing girls 

dressed in broad skirts of rich material, loose white waists, and 

bright colored sashes. About them, on the floor of the porch. 

the smaller children are playing. 

Our Spanish friends show us every attention, for these J'^®''* 

. . Tine 

people are among the most hospitable in the world. We are led hospi- 

to the guest-room, where Indian servants help us to get rid of ^ ' ^ 

the dust of our journey. We are taken in to dinner with the 

family, where we dine on frijoles, cJiili con came, and other 

Spanish dishes. And if we are lucky, a fandango, or dance, is 

held in the evening. 

18. The Fandansfo. Among these Spanish- Americans, "The love 

T^ . , r of the 

a fandango was a happy event. Early m the evening, from dance 

nearby ranchos, the guests begin to arrive. In laughing- 
parties, riding horse-back, they come, — handsomely dressed 
ladies, dashing Spanish gentlemen with rattling spurs. After 
the joyous greetings, musicians appear, and strike up a tune 
on their mandolins and guitars. And then the fandango 
begins. Up and down, in dance after dance, the laughing part- 
ners swing. They never seem to grow weary. Not till the wee 
hours of the morning does the party break up ; and then it is 
to talk of the next fandango. 

19. The Rodeo. Perhaps, during our visit to the rancho, Adven- 
a rodeo is held. This is the greatest sight of all. Once a v^ith^he 
year the owners of the neighboring ranchos get all their cattle 
vaqueros together and ride out after the cattle. For miles and 

miles, over hills and fields, the cow-boys sweep along, driving 
in the cows and steers. Then the exciting work of branding 
the cattle begins. Each one must be marked with the owner's 



20 



The Story of Our State 



sign so that it can be told apart from the cattle of the other 
ranchos. You may be sure the wild bulls and cows do not like 
this kind of treatment. Many of them put up a fight, and must 
be lassoed and thrown upon their haunches. Sometimes a 
savage steer breaks from the herd and runs. Then off after the 
runaway goes a vaquero. He catches up with the steer, grasps 
its tail, gives a twist and a pull, and the unhappy animal 




A RODEO AT SAN GABRIEL 



goes head over heels. Many are the daring feats of horseman- 
ship ; great is the excitement. 

Such were the people who lived on the ranchos of California 
for many years after the Revolutionary war. During that 
time, as we learned, Mexico and California broke away from 
Spain, and California became a part of the Mexican republic. 
But except for the closing of the missions that made little 
difference in the life of the state. It was the coming of the 
Americans to California that brought the great change. 



The Story of Our State 21 

SUGGESTIONS INTENDED TO HELP THE PUPIL 

The Leading Facts. /. Russians entered California seek- 
ing furs. 2. They made settlements at Bodega bay and Fort 
Ross. J. The Russians left California. 4. The Spaniards 
in California built fortified towns, called presidios. 5. Mon- 
terey was the capital. 6. To encourage settlement, pueblos 
were built, and land was given free. 7. The Spaniards built 
comfortable adobe houses. 8. There were many cattle 
ranches, called ranchos. p. The people of the ranchos were 
hospitable and pleasure loving. 10. Each year a rodeo, or 
cattle-branding, was held. 

Study Questions, i. Why were the Spaniards jealous of 
tlie Russians in California? 2. What still remains to remind 
us of the Russians ? ?. What was the purpose of a presidio ? 
5. Tell how Spain encouraged settlers to come. 7. Which 
towns began as presidios, and which ones as pueblos ? 5. De- 
scribe a Spanish-California house. 6. What was a rancho? 
7. Describe an imaginery visit to a rancho. 8. Describe a 
fandango. Q. Describe a rodeo. 

Suggested Readings. Russians in California : Hunt, 
California the Golden, 113-119; Bandini, History of California, 

13(^133- 

Life in Spanish California : Hunt, Calif orma the Golden, 
103-112; Bandini, History of California, 106-127; Winterburn, 
llie Spanish in the Southzvest, 171-190; Sexton, Stories of 
California, 20-29; Markham, California the Wonderful, 87-96. 

HOW THE AMERICANS CAME AND OPENED 
A HIDDEN TREASURE 

THE STRANGERS 

20. Captain John A. Sutter. The rich land of California. The 

•1-1 11- • 11- 11 ..... news of 

With its lovely climate, its rolling valleys, and its invitmg water cali- 

courscs, could not remain unknown to the rest of the world. *°'""'^ 

News of its greatness went abroad, and among the first to heed 

its call was Captain John A. Sutter. This interesting man was 

a citizen of Switzerland who had served as an officer in the 

French army. 



22 



The Story of Our State 



Captain 
Sutter 
builds 
a fort 



Caravans 
of Amer- 
icans 
arrive 



It was Sutter's purpose to build a colony, and Governor 
Alvarado gladly let him have a great tract of land. This land 
was located where the city of Sacramento now stands and 
stretched for miles around. Here Sutter built an adobe fort, 
and set up the cannon which he had bought from the Russians 
at Fort Ross. Within a few years he had over a thousand 
acres of grain growing, and was in possession of great herds 
of cattle. His rancho was probably the richest and most pros- 
perous in the state. 

21. The Goal of the Emigrant Trains. Captain Sutter's 
fame is due mostly to his great friendship for the American 
government and its people. In his day the first of our country- 
men began to 
- , J. ^^ arrive in Cali- 
--Jfir- -_. .--.'.•^-"^ _. -^- ^ fornia. To 

, these new- 



^ comers, Sut- 
ter held out 
a welcoming 
and a helping 
hand. In the 
beginning a few weary travelers, with their pack animals, 
struggled over the Sierras from the East. Later, caravan after 
caravan of them, men, women and children, made its appear- 
ance. In long trains of canvas-covered wagons drawn by oxen 
or horses, they came. Across the wide plains, where the thun- 
dering buffalo herds were, and the Indians roamed ; through the 
dangerous and unknown passes of the Rockies ; past the Great 
Salt Lake, where the scorching desert was ; and across the 
towering Sierras, their journey led them. To all of them, 
Sutter's name was known ; and for most of them, Sutter's fort 
was the goal for which they were striving. 

22. Tragedy of the Donner Party. In the year 1846 a 
party of emigrants from Illinois toiled westward toward Cali- 




SUTTER S FORT IN 1846 



The Story of Our State 



^Z 



fornia. In a long line of "prairie schooners," as their canvas- 
covered wagons were called, they struggled through the sands 
and rocky passes of Utah. They had decided to take what 
they thought was a short-cut past the Great Salt Lake. But 
in taking this they made a sad mistake, for it was so difficult 
that they were delayed a great many days. Food began to give 
out, and the emigrants knew that it would not last to the 
journey's end. In despair, they sent two of their party ahead 
on horseback to secure aid at Sutter's fort. 

For weeks and weeks, almost starving, the party plodded on. 
In the fall of the year, when hope was nearly gone, they drew 
toward the summit of the Sierra Nevada mountains ; and there 
they met one of the men who had gone forward to bring them 
help. He brought with him seven mutes laden with provisions. 
How glad a sight it must have been to the men and women and 
children of the weary party. But how soon their gladness was 
to change to despair ! For one day the mountains took on a 
gloomy look, black clouds rolled up, and a chill wind blew. It 
was the beginning of winter. Gently, at first, but falling faster 
and faster, the snow came. For days and days it fell. It piled 
up on the mountain sides and blocked the valleys. To go 
forward was impossible. 

They made their winter's camp on the shore of a little lake. 
We now call it Donner lake, in honor of the unfortunate party. 
It lies near the town of Truckee, not far from where the 
Central Pacific railroad crosses the summit. In dark little 
cabins made from logs, eighty-three human beings began the 
long winter. The storm raged and the snow-banks piled higher 
and higher. To go beyond the cabins meant death from the 
wild beasts; or if not, it meant the slower death of freezing in 
the storm. Inside, starvation was doing its sure and deadly 
work. The sufi^ering and horror of that winter are too terrible 
to be told. In the latter part of February help reached the 



The 

Donner 

party 

crosses 

the 

plains 



Winter 
over- 
takes 
them 
in the 
Sierras 



They 

starve) in 
a prison 
of snow 



24 Tlic Story of Our State 

party from Sutter's fort. Of the eighty-three people who were 
snowed in, only forty-two survived. 
Sturdy 23, The Americans Move In. Fortunately, no other party 

had so terrible a time as the Donner party. But all who crossed 



leans 
arrive 



the plains had many hardships. The story of these American 
pioneers is one of the most interesting in the history of our 
nation. They were brave and sturdy men and women, and no 
land has ever had a finer people for its founders. Gringos, 
the Mexicans called them. It was these hardy Americans, 
these Gringos, who laid the fovmdation of American power 
in California. 
Cali- In the days when the first American pioneers were coming to 

begins California, the state still belonged to Mexico. The Mexican 
Amer- ^^S waved over the custom house at Monterey and over the 
ican presidio forts. The Spanish language was the common lan- 

guage of most of the people. But more and more the English 
tongue was heard in the towns and through the country. 
American customs and American ways of dress became more 
and more common. Men began to see that California was 
becoming American, even if the Mexican flag did float over 
the land. 



CALIFORNIA WON FOR THE UNITED STATES. 

Captain 24. The Fremont Expedition. Now there came to be 

Fremont '■ 

arrives much talk of war between the United States and Mexico. 
There was a quarrel between our government and Mexico 
about the boundary line of Texas. While the war talk was 
going on, President Polk sent Captain John C. Fremont with 
a party of sixty men. to California. His duty was to find out 
the best routes of travel into the state, and to discover other 
things which President Polk wanted to know. 

Fremont made the journey overland into California, and rode 
directly to Monterey. Here he asked Jose Castro, the Mexican 
general, for permission to survey the country near the Colorado 



Tlic Story of Our State 



25 



Armed 
Amer- 
icans 



river. Castro gladly granted so peaceful a request. But before '^® '^ 
long he began to wish he had not done so. Fremont did not to leave 
go toward the Colorado river at all. General Castro said to 
himself : "That American is trying to find out secrets. He 
wants to help his government win California." So Castro 
sent soldiers after Fremont, with orders that he should get out 
of the state. 

Instead of leaving the state, Fremont turned northward. 
As he approached the Oregon boundary, Lieutenant Gillespie 

overtook him with Jo'" '^''^ 
a message from 
President Polk. We 
are not sure just 
what the news was 
w h i c h the mes- 
senger brought, but 
it made Fremont 
turn back into Cali- 
fornia. As he and 
his sixty men rode southward, a great many Americans came 
forth to join them. These Americans felt sure that there must 
really be war now between Mexico and the United States. 
They knew that Fremont would be a leader in that war; they 
knew he would try to win California from INIexico, and they 
wanted to fight by his side. 

25. The Bear Flag Rebellion. Now there occurred what They 
is famous as the "Bear Flag Rebellion." Near the little town some ''^ 
of Sonoma, Fremont's followers found a party of Mexicans Worses 
with one hundred and fifty horses belonging to the Mexican 
general, Castro. The Americans captured these horses. That 
was the first warlike act in the conquest of California. 

On June 14, 1846, a crowd of Americans surrounded the 
house of General \ allejo. This man was the Mexican officer . 




SONOMA IN 1846 



26 The Story of Our State 

General jn cIiarQie of that part of the state. The Americans were indeed 

Vallejo '^ ^ 

is made a rough-looking lot. Mounted on horseback, wearing soiled 

prisoner igj^^-j^^.j- jackets and leggings, and carrying pistols and guns, 
they were enough to frighten even the brave General Vallejo 
himself. There was nothing for this Mexican officer to do but 
to surrender. This he did, and was taken by Fremont to 
Sutter's fort. Here he was treated very kindly by Captain 
Sutter, but was held a prisoner. 

The Americans who had captured General Vallejo held pos- 
session of Sonoma. Still they were not sure that there was 
war between Mexico and the United States. The truth was 
that war had been declared between the two countries a month 
before. If the Americans had known that war was going on, 
they would have raised the stars and stripes. Not knowing it, 
they decided to have a flag of their own. Taking an old white 
cloth, they roughly drew on it, in ink, a bear and a star. On 
the lower edge they sewed a strip of red, and painted on it the 
words, "California Republic." 

They The men raised their new banner on the flagstafif of Sonoma. 

fla^g arfd Then they wrote out a sort of declaration of independence, and 

^*^'"* ^. some rules of government. But the brave little republic was to 
republic * ^ 

last only a short time. In a few weeks news came that war 
between our country and Mexico had begun. When they heard 
this news, the Americans gladly pulled down their California 
flag, and in its place patriotically unfurled the flag of our 
nation. 

The banner of the bear has not been forgotten. It is today 
our state flag. On Admission Day you will see it floating 
beside our national colors, and often you will see it carried in 
processions. 

26. The American Conquest Completed. It was in 1846 
that our government declared war on Mexico. In July of that 
• year. Commodore John D. Sloat sailed into the harbor of Mon- 
terey and raised the stars and stripes over the custom house. 



TJic Story of Our State 



27 



From the flagship in the bay boomed out a sahite of twenty-one 
guns. In the town a proclamation was read, saying that 
CaHfornia was now American soil. 

A few days later Commodore Stockton arrived and took 
charge. He made Captain Fremont the commanding officer of 
the land forces. From town to town the Americans marched. 
In each place they raised the American flag, and took posses- 
sion in the name of the United States. There was no army 
ready to fight them. The people did not seem to care. In 
this way the land from Monterey to San Diego was taken. 

Not long afterward, General Stephen Kearny led a small 
army of Americans into California from the southwest. 
General Andres Pico with some Mexican forces met him at a 
rancho called San Pasqual. This rancho was located near the 
present town of Ramona, a short distance northeast of San 
Diego. Here a battle was fought and several Americans were 
killed. The Americans were in smaller numbers than their 
enemies, and were driven back. Timely help from Commodore 
Stockton at San Diego was all that saved the day. 

It was on August 13, 1846, that Commodore Stockton with 
a small force of Americans, entered the town of Los Angeles, 
raised the American flag, and declared that section of the 
country a part of the United States. The Commodore then left 
Los Angeles in charge of Lieutenant Gillespie, and departed 
for the north. It was not long after that the native Cali- 
fornians in that part of the state became angry at the Amer- 
icans who had come in and taken their country, and they rose 
in revolt. They drove Lieutenant Gillespie and the Americans 
out of Los Angeles. 

News of the revolt was sent to Stockton, and he hastened 
south in a cruiser. With a force of about 600 bluejackets and 
soldiers, he marched forth to meet the Californians, who had 
banded together under General Flores. The two little armies 



The 
Amer- 
icans 
take pos- 
session 



Some 

fighting 

occurs 



Revolt 
in Los 
Angeles 



More 
fighting 



28 



The Story of Our State 



met at a place called Paso de Bartolo, on the San Gabriel river 
near Los Angeles. Two men were Jvilled and several wounded 
on each side. The Californians were forced to retreat, but 
they made a second stand on a plain near Los Angeles. Here 
took place a skirmish known as the fight of the Mesa. After a 
little bloodshed the Californians again retreated, and most of 
A treaty them scattered to their homes. Shortly after this the leaders 




MILL WHERE GOLD WAS niSCOVKRICD 



of the Californians met with Captain Fremont at the Rancho de 
Cahuenga, near San Fernando. Here a treaty was signed, in 
which the Californians were pardoned for revolting, and in 
return promised never to take up arms again against the United 
States. The American conquest of California was now over. 

JAMES MARSHAI.I, DISCOVERS GOLD 

27. A Sawmill Is Built. James Marshall worked for Cap- 
tain Sutter. One day Sutter went up to him and said something 
like this : "Marshall, I want you to take some men and go up 
along the American river. Try to find a good place to Iniild 



TJic Story of Our State ' 29 

a sawmill and put up a vvaterwheel. If we are to make any 
improvements here we must have lumber, and in order to get 
lumber we must have a sawmill to cut it." 

So Marshall and his men started on the journey that was to ^f"^®f ,, 

■" -' Marshall 

make himself and California famous all over the world. For ascends 
several days they traveled through the wilds along the river. Amer- 
After hard searching, they found a good place to set up the '9^" 
mill. It was located at a spot called Culloomah by the Indians, 
a name which the Americans shortened to Coloma. The place 
was forty-five miles east of Sutter's fort. 

With the help of Indians, the men cut rough logs and built 
the mill. They dug a ditch, or "race," to carry the water to 
the wheel; and they made and put up the wheel itself. And 
now all was ready; 

28. Eureka! Gold! Marshall turned the water into the A great 
ditch, and each morning he walked along the bank to see that 

there were no leaks or breaks. One morning he saw something 
glittering in the ditch. He stooped and picked it up and saw 
that it was a yellow metal. He put it on a stone and pounded 
it with a rock. It was soft and did not break. It was gold ! 

Had Marshall been a Greek, he might well have cried, 
"Eureka!" which would have been his way of exclaiming, "I 
have found it!" He had indeed found the secret treasure 
which was to make California the richest land in the world. 

29. The Great Gold Rush. It was in January, 1848, that A wild 
the discovery was made. The news spread like wildfire. ^^^ 
Within a few weeks, men were stumbling through the brush wealth is 

' - ■=" begun 

along the rivers, laden with picks and shovels and hoes and 
pans, all in a wild search for wealth. Men left their families 
and their daily work, and rushed off to the mines. Doctors, 
soldiers, workingmen, sailors, lawyers, all caught the "gold 
fever" and joined the mad rush. 

The news reached the East ; it traveled to South America, 
to Australia, to England, to France, to Germany. From all 



30 



Tlic Story of Our State 



Men 

come by 
three 
routes 



Argo- 
nauts 



parts of the world the fortune hunters began to arrive. Ship 
after ship brought them into San Francisco bay. Officers and 
crews left their vessels and went off to the mines. New crews 
could not be hired at any price. The bay became a very forest 
of masts, so many and so close together were the deserted 
ships. 

Men came from the Eastern states by three routes. Many 
took the long voyage "around the horn," — that is, they came 
around South America. Others went by ship to Panama, 

crossed the Isthmus as best they 
could, and took their chances on get- 
ting another vessel on the Pacific 
side. Great numbers of them made 
the weary journey overland, across 
the plains. In prairie schooners, on 
horse back, even on, foot they came, 
thousands of them. The sufferings 
of those who crossed the plains 
would be too sad a story to tell. It 
was a journey that only strong men 
should have undertaken. From sick- 
ness, exposure and hardship, many of 
them died. Their horses and their 
cattle often fell by the wayside. It 
was said that the route across the 
continent was marked by the bones 
of man and beast. 

Thus came an army of fortune 
hunters to California. We call them 
Argonauts, because they were in search of a golden fleece, 
like Jason and the Argonauts of old. We also speak of 
them as "forty-niners," a name given them because so many 
came in the year 1849. By the end of that year, 100,000 of 
them had arrived and scattered to the Sfold fields. 




STATUE OF JAMES MARSHALL 

WHO DISCOVERED GOLD AT 

COLOMA 



TJic Story of Our State 



31 




THE DAYS OF GOLD 

30. El Dorado. When the Spanish explorers came to a dream 
America, they were led by dreams of gold. Each one of them 1°^^ 
hcped that he would find a country full of golden riches. In 
North America, or in South 

America, somewhere, BI Do- 
rado, the "golden land," was 
to be found. Long, long after 
the days of the explorers, the .^^ 
thought of El Dorado lived in 
the minds of men. When gold 
was discovered in California, 
it was only natural that people ^^"^ 
should say, "Here, at last, is 
El Dorado, the golden land of 
which the Spaniards dreamed." 
state in those days. 

And it surely was a "land of gold." In the famous year The 
1849, the amount of wealth taken from the mines 
v$40,ooo,ooo. Each year the sum grew. In 1853, $65,000,000 
was removed from the streams and the mountain sides. Tales 
of riches found in a day, stories of wonderful "strikes" of gold, 
were on every man's tongue. Is it any wonder that fortune- 
hunters came from all corners of the world? 

31. How Mining Was Done. Beside the streams and on 
the hillsides of the Sierras, the miners' "diggings" were to be 
found. To these "diggings" a steady stream of prospectors 
came, traveling from San Francisco and other new-born towns. 
Each prospector had his "outfit," made up of pick, pan, shovel, 
bacon, beans, flour, and a few other needed things. Up the 
rocky canyons they trudged by thousands and scattered along 
the countless streams. 



PANNING GOLD IN EARLV DAYS 



So the name was given to our 



golden 
^^'^^ fleece 



32 



Tlic Story of Our State 



Miners 
scatter 
along the 
streams 
and pan 
for gold 



The 

"cradle" 



Hillsides 

washed 

away 







MINER AND ROCKER 



Where mountain water flowed, men could be seen crouching 
with iron pans. These pans they would half fill with gravel 
and sand. Then they would dip water into them, and shake 
them slowly to and fro. They would gradually pour out the 

water, and with it the loose 
dirt and gravel, until, if they 



were lucky, there would be 
nothing left but pieces of gold. 
This way of mining was called 
"panning," and in the early 
days was very common. 

Most of the men who mined 
along the streams, however, 
used what was called a "cradle" or "rocker." This got its name 
because it looked so much like a baby's cradle with one end 
knocked out. Along the bottom of it was fastened a piece of 
iron with holes punched in it. The earth was dumped into the 
cradle and water poured upon it. Then the cradle was rocked 
rapidly. The water would carry the sand and gravel away, 
while the gold, being heavier, would sink through the holes, or 
rest on the bottom of the cradle. 

Mining along the streams or on the surface of the ground, 
was called "placer" mining. Mining was also carried on by 
digging holes into the earth. Sometimes companies of men, if 
they had money enough, would build great wooden flumes, or 
pipes. These would be made to carry large streams of water 
for long distances. These streams would then be shot through 
nozzles against the hillsides. This would wash away the hill- 
sides, and the loose dirt would be allowed to run over what 
were called "sluice boxes." These were made so that they 
would catch the pieces of gold as they were washed through 
them. This kind of m.ining is known as "hydraulic" mining. 
It is still carried on in some places. 



TJic Story of Our State 



33 



Hydraulic mining as then done was a bad thing. It tore 
great holes in the hills and washed many of them away. The 
water carried the loosened earth down into the rivers, almost 
filling them, and making them very shallow. Because of this, 
the state has suffered ever since. The rivers have not been 
able to carry the high waters of winter and spring, and the 
lands about them have been flooded. Great levees, costing 
millions of dollars, have had to be built in order to protect the 
farm lands in the valleys. Several years ago the state put an 
end to nearly all the hydraulic mining. 

32. Life in the Camps. Near the mines many little towns 
or mining camps grew up. If you had visited one of these 
camps, you would have seen a few straggling houses made of 
rough, unpainted logs and 
boards, a hotel or two, res- 
taurants, stores and places 
where men gambled and 
drank. You would have 
seen groups of men stand- 
ing about, dressed in red 
flannel shirts, trousers 
tucked into high boots, 
and broad-brimmed hats. 
There would be prospec- 
tors setting out for the mines, carrying their packs, or driving 
before them horses or donkeys laden with heavy burdens. 
Rough talk in many languages could be heard ; joking, laughter, 
and once in a while the noise of a fight. Very seldom was a 
woman or child to be seen. In the stores would be a great 
display of bacon, flour, beans, tobacco, miners' clothing, pans, 
picks, axes and shovels, with prices high beyond belief. Such 
was a mining camp in the days of '49. 



River 

channels 

filled 




A PRAIRie SCHOONER ARRIVING AT COLOMA IN 1849 



Life is 
rough 
and free 



34 The Story of Our State 

There Mucli has been written about the bad life in these camps. 

some It is true that many men oambled away their hard-earned STold 

lawless- ... 

ness or Spent it for drink. It is true also that some of them would 

fight, and that once in a while a man would be killed. But it 
must be remembered that California had not yet been made into 
a state. These men had no laws. Besides, the gold had drawn 
bad men as well as good to the mines. For a while the worse 
sort did as they pleased. Later, as we shall see, the good 
citizens made laws which everyone had to obey. Then life was 
safer and better for all. 
Strong Many people think only of the bad side of the mining camp 

brave ^i^^- We should think rather of the good side. The miner's 
life was full of toil and danger ; it made men strong and brave. 
There was great friendship, and men freely gave their gold and 
risked their lives to help their comrades. Clothes did not make 
a man ; neither did wealth or family. Men were judged by the 
good that was in them. It was a life in which those who were 
strong, kindly and honest must win honor and success ; a life 
in which scamps and criminals must be found out and hated by 
their fellows. 

To the glory of California, most of these Argonauts were 
the right kind. They were true sturdy Americans. In the face 
of trials and hardships, in a land without laws, they built a 
great state, enforced right and punished wrong. We honor 
them for it. 

SUGGESTIONS INTENDED TO HELP THE PUPII, 

The Leading Facts, i. Captain Sutter came to California, 
built a fort, and established a rancho. 2. Many Americans 
traveled across the plains to California in prairie schooners. 
5. The Donner party was snowed in at the summit of the 
Sierras, and many perished. 4. Captain Fremont, with a 
party of sixty, was sent to California by President Polk. 
5. The people thought Fremont had come to stir up a rebel- 
lion against Mexico. 6. Americans near Sonoma revolted 



The Story of Our State 35 

and adopted the Bear Flag. 7. Commodore Sloat sailed into 
Monterey bay and raised the stars and stripes. 5". Americans 
under Fremont marched through California and took posses- 
sion, p. Some small battles were fought in the south. 
10. James Marshall discovered gold on the American 
river. //. There was a mad rush to the gold fields. 
12. The miners used pans and rockers along the mountain 
streams, /j. A great deal of hydraulic mining was done. 
14. Rough mining camps sprang up in many places, i^. Bad 
men and good men mixed together in the mining camps. 

Study Questions, i. What attracted the immigrants who 
came to California before the days of gold? 2. Where was 
Sutter's fort located? j. By what means of travel did the 
immigrants come to California? 4. Tell the story of the 
Donner party. 5. Why did the Mexicans look with suspicion 
upon Captain Fremont and his party ? 6. What was the first 
warlike act in the conquest of California? 7. What war 
broke out, shortly after, between our country and another 
country ? 8. What did this war have to do with the American 
conquest of California? p. What was the origin of the Bear 
Flag? TO. Why was the capture of the towns of California 
an easy thing for the Americans? 11. Tell about the revolt 
of the Californians against the Americans in southern Cali- 
fornia. 12. Tell the story of the discovery of gold. 
75. Describe the gold rush. 14. Why were the gold seekers 
called "Argonauts"? 75. Why was California called "El 
Dorado" ? 16. Tell how placer mining was done. 17. Why 
was hydraulic mining a bad thing? 18. Picture a scene in a 
pioneer mining camp. ig. Why was mining camp life a test 
of a man's character? 

Suggested Readings. Captain Sutter: Hunt, California 
the Golden, 152-161. 

The Donner Party: Hunt, California the Golden, 162-168. 

The Conquest of California: Hunt, California the Golden, 
169-185; Bandini, History of California, 136-146; Sexton, 
Stories of Calif oriiia, 30-36; Drake, The Making of the Great 
West, 256-263. 

The Days of Gold: Hunt, California the Golden, 187-209; 
McMurry, Pioneers of the Rocky Mountains and the West, 



36 



TJic Story of Our State 



94-113; Barstow, The Westivard Movement, 103-118. 175- 
198; Bandini, History of California, 147-172; Drake, The 
Making of the Great West, 271-284; Sexton, Stories of Cali- 
fornia, 37-66; Elson, Sidelights on Ameriean History, 
Vol. I, 243-262 ; Wright, American Progress, 268-298 ; Mowry, 
American Pioneers, 187-215; Markham, California the Won- 
derful, 102-1 ^y. 



The 
Amer- 
ican 
army in 
charge 



People 
want 
their 
own laws 



THE MAKING OF A STATE 

CALIFORNIA JOINS TH^ UNION 

33. A Time of Waiting. We have learned how the United 
States won California when the Alexican war broke out in 
1846. In 1849 the people were still waiting for American laws 
to govern the land. 

Some people thought that we should have what is called a 
"territorial" government. Such a government was given to 
parts of our country before those parts became regular states. 
While some people were thinking that California should be 
made into a territory, others were planning to make it into a 
state at once. But of course it could not be a regular state till 
Congress allowed it to be so. 

People were thinking this over while the great gold rush 
was going on. The state was still under the control of the 
United States army which had remained here after the 
Mexican war. General Bennet Riley was, for most of the time, 
the commander, and acted as governor. The people did not 
wish to be under the army. They wanted to rule themselves. 

Why did the people desire laws and a government? The 
question is not hard to answer. Wherever Americans go, they 
want justice, peace and good order. They want to be able to 
carry on their business, and bring up their families in safety 
and comfort. They want laws to help them build schools and 
roads and towns. They want to live in the right way. They 



Tlic Story of Our State 



37 



want to keep people from doing wrong. For all these reasons, 
the people of California desired a government of their own. 

34. Laws are Made at Last. Three years passed, and A call 
the land was still under tlie rule of the army. At last, some- 
thing was done. General Riley knew what the people wanted 
so he decided to help them. He sent out a call for a great 



sent out 




COLTON HALL 

At Monterey, zi'here the first Constitution was made 

meeting, or convention, to be held at Monterey. The purpose 
of the convention was to make rules by which the people could 
govern themselves. 

From San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco. Stockton, and 
Sacramento, from mining camp and town, the best and wisest 
men were chosen. They traveled to ^lonterey and met in a 
stone building known as Colton hall which still stands as a 
monument to the great work done there. 

The men of the convention decided that California ought to 
be a state and not a territory. So they began the writing of a 



38 



Tlie Story of Our State 



A consti- 
tution 
written 



No 
slavery 



The 
capitals 



State Constitution. A constitution is a set of rules telling how 
the government shall be run. The one written at this conven- 
tion is known as the Constitution of 1849. 

At that time there was slavery in the Southern states of our 
country. So the question was asked: "Shall California be a 
slave state or a free state?" To the honor of the men of the 

convention and to the 
credit of California, the 
question was decided in 
the right way. There 
should be no slavery 
here. California stood 
for freedom. 

Many wise provisions 
were placed in the Con- 
stitution. Among them 
was a plan for free state 
schools. Soon an elec- 
tion was held, at which 
all the citizens had a 
chance to vote for the 
Constitution or against 
it. Almost everyone 
voted for it. At the 
same time the first 
American governor of the state was elected. His name was 
Peter H. Burnett. 

The convention decided that the town of San Jose should be 
the capital of the state. In a very short time, however, Vallejo 
was made the capital, and afterward the town of Benicia. In 
1854 Sacramento was made the capital city, and the capital has 
not been chaneed since that time. 




PETER H. BURNETT 
California's first Governor 



Tlic Story of Our State 39 

35. Admission Day. When California asked Congress if A state 
it could enter the Union as a state, there was great speaking 

and debating among the nation's lawmakers at Washington. 
If California became a state, it could send men to Congress. 
Because California was against slavery, its men in Congress 
would vote against slavery. The Southern states did not want 
anything like that. For a time it looked as though California 
might have to stay out of the Union and be a territory after all. 
At last Congress agreed. On the ninth day of September, in 
1850, California was admitted to the Union. It became a state 
among the other states. 

That is why we celebrate September ninth of each year as 
Admission Day. It is the birthday of California. 

STIRRING TIMES 

36. Old Days in San Francisco. When Marshall discov- A city 
ered gold San Francisco was but a village on the sands, a year 
Within a year after that time it had become a large and busy 

city. It was the gateway to the golden state. Into its harbor . 

poured a stream of newcomers from all parts of the world. 

Down from the mines came thousands of Argonauts with their 

gold. Stores, hotels, lodging houses, banks, warehouses, 

offices, and places of amusement were built by the score to meet 

the needs of all these people. There was no time to put up 

stone or brick buildings. The best were made of wood, with 

partition walls of cloth. Hundreds of houses were nothing 

more than tents. 

Busy and exciting was San Francisco's life. Men crowded J^^ 

•' ^ . , . , busy and 

the streets. Many were dressed m rough mmers costumes; exciting 

life 

many others wore fine clothes. But how men dressed made no 
difference. There were other and more important things to 
think of. News from the mines, plans of business men, the 
price of land, the building of stores, the getting of fortunes, — 



40 



The Story of Our State 



The 
coming 
of the 
mail 



these were the thoughts that filled men's minds ; these were the 
subjects about which all men talked. 

The great event of the month was the coming of the steamer 
carrying the mails. Guns were fired and bells were rung to 
announce its arrival. Then from hotels and offices, from tents 
and cabins and stores, men rushed pell-mell to the post office. 
In a long line they stretched down the street, waiting their turn 



Fires 
rage and 
destroy 




SAN FRANCISCO IN 1849 

for the news. Men often paid large sums of money for a place 
at the head of the line, so eager were they for papers and 
letters from home. 

Between Christmas of 1849 and June of 1851, six great fires 
swept over San Francisco. The houses of wood and cloth 
burned like matches. Millions of dollars' worth of property 
was destroyed. Six times the fire wrought its havoc, and six 
times the city arose from its ashes as if by magic. And each 
time it arose to a greater and busier life. Fire alone could 
never stop its growth. Disaster could never weaken the 
courage of its people. 



crimes 



'Flic Story of Our State 41 

37. The Vigilance Committees. Most of the men of San The 

Francisco were good and honest citizens, but there were many of the 

criminals and scamps as well. There were men who scorned an "°""°^ 

honest living and got money by stealing, cheating and other 

crimes. These men became a disgrace and a terror to the 

city. Merchants were robbed in their stores. Citizens w^ere 

attacked in the streets, and their money and valuables stolen. 

Men were murdered. The desperadoes w'ho did these things 

were well named the "hounds." There was a band of them, 

and they worked together. And the most disgraceful part of 

it was that many of the police and other officers of the city were 

on their side and protected them. 

The good citizens of the city stood this sort of thing for a The 

"^ evildoers 

while. Then they took matters into their own hands. They punished 

formed what is known as the Vigilance Committee of 185 1. 
The two hundred men of this committee swore by their honor 
and their lives that they would protect the people and their 
property against the "hounds." Within a short time four dif- 
ferent murderers were captured, given trial, and sentenced to 
death. The men paid the penalty for their crimes in the 
public square of the city. Many evil-doers were sent out of 
the state, and others fled in terror. 

For a while the bad characters that were left hid in fear, and More 
were quiet. But before long the robberies and murders were 
worse than ever. Over a thousand citizens were killed within 
a few years. And now the famous Mgilance Committee of 
1856 was formed. Six thousand honest and respectable men 
joined its ranks. They formed a military battalion, with guns 
and cannon. The headquarters of the committee was protected 
against attack by rows of sacks filled with sand. The people 
called it "Fort Gunny-bags." On top of the fort a great bell 
was hung. Three solemn strokes on the bell meant that a crime 
had been done, and that the men of the committee were needed. 



42 TJic Story of Our State 

Justice The Vigilance Committee of 1856 did its work well. It 

is done • . . , . . , , r • 1 • -111 

caught the criminals, it tried them fairly, it punished them 

severely. Its justice was stern, but it was right. Open crime 

came to an end in San Francisco. The city became a safe and 

good place in which to live. 

A ques- 38. California and the Civil War. In 1861 Leland Stan- 

loyalty ^ovd was elected governor of California. This was the year 
in which the great civil war between the North and South 
began. Abraham Lincoln had been chosen President of the 
United States. Several of the slave states had gone out of 
the Union and had set up a government of their own. In 
California the great question was, Shall our state remain true 
to the Union? 

to''the There were men in California who had come from the South. 

Union Some of these men wanted our people to join with the Southern 
states. Their hopes were soon at an end. From city and 
town and mine and farm, the loyal men cried, "We shall 
stand true!" And California did stand true. Governor Stan- 
ford and the lawmakers declared the state for Lincoln and 
his cause. The greatest newspapers came out for the Union. 
The best orators spoke for loyalty. Thomas Starr King, a 
minister and a noble citizen, spoke and worked for freedom 
and the government. He collected a million and a half dollars 
to help the sick and wounded soldiers. 

Sixteen thousand Californians volunteered for the Union 
cause. Our state helped the nation with great sums of money. 
When the LTnion had won, when the Southern states were 
again under the flag and the slaves were free, Californians 
could well have said, "We have done our part ; we have stood 
true." 

39. The Stagecoach. During these stirring times, there 
was no railroad to connect us with the East. The telegraph 
was not built till 1861. Travelers still had to come in wagons 
across the plains or in ship by way of Panama or Cape Horn. 



^hc Story of Our State 



43 



Stagecoaches did the work of railroads. They carried pas- Excite- 
ment and 
sengers, express and mail over the stage line routes that led ad- 

from the East. The story of the stagecoaches is a story of ^*" "''^ 

excitement and adventure. Drawn by six galloping horses, 

they dashed along the rough mountain roads and across the 

dusty plains. The coaches often carried great treasure, and 

the drivers were always heavily armed. All of us have heard 




OVERLAND STAGE 



of the bold robberies, the narrow escapes, and the bravery of 
the drivers when they had to give battle to defend the valuables 
in their charge. 

40. The Pony Express. Every schoolboy knows about the 
pony express and how its daring riders carried letters from 
Atchison, on the banks of the Missouri, to the city of Sacra- 
mento. The first rider from the East would set out at breakneck 
speed. His brave little Indian pony would carry him galloping 
to the relay station twenty-five miles away. Here the horseman 
would toss the precious mail pouch to another rider on another 
Indian pony, and off and away the second would go. Twenty- 
five miles more, and the third rider would begin. So for 2,000 
miles, night and day, in sunshine and storm, over mountains 



Brave 
carriers 
of the 
mail 



44 The Story of Our State 

and plains, horseman after horseman sped to the West. The 
entire distance was covered in eight days. In this way were 
carried the tidings from loved ones, the business letters, the 
news from the East, and all safely delivered, thanks to man and 
beast. 

The pony express came to an end when the telegraph was 
built. And when the great railroad came, the exciting days of 
the stagecoaches drew to a close. 

THE COMING OF THP: RAILROAD 

The 41. A Dream of Great Builders. There were men in 

need of California who dreamed great dreams. They looked abroad 
the state Qygj- q^^j- state and saw the wide, fertile valleys and hillsides, 
the forest-clad mountains, the growing cities, and the com- 
merce coming to our ports. In their wisdom they knew that 
our greatest wealth did not lie in the mines. They saw that 
Nature's best gift to us was our rich soil, waiting to yield a 
golden harvest of grain and fruits. They knew that the uncut 
timber of our forests was a fortune without measure. They 
knew that our wealth, our prosperity, the number of our people, 
would grow and grow if only one thing were done. A railroad 
must be built to carry our products to the East. 

The "big Four men who saw this great future for California stood out 
four" '^ 

as leaders. They set about to make the dream become real. 

They were men of power and of deeds. The "Big Four" the 
people called them, because they did big things. Their names 
were Leland Stanford, Collis P. Huntington, Mark Hopkins 
and Charles Crocker. They took up the mighty task of build- 
ing the railroad, and through this work they made vast 
fortunes. 
Two rail- ^2. East and West Are Joined. Two great railroad com- 

road com ° 

panics panics were formed. One, the Union Pacific, was to build 
westward from Omaha, Nebraska. The other, the Central 
Pacific, was to build eastward from Sacramento till it joined 



71w Story of Our Slate 45 

the other. To help pay the immense cost, Congress gave the 
railroads large tracts of public land. The State of California 
also helped generously. 

It was truly a task for giants. To bind steel rails across the A mighty 
wide prairies, to gird the mountain ridges, to hew a way along 
rocky canyons, to span swift torrents, to bore tunnels through 
barriers of stone, all for a distance of 2,000 miles, — this was a 
greater thing than had ever been done before. Alany laughed 
at the thought of it, and cried, "Impossible !" 

But the great work was done. An army of laborers toiled 

on the western side. On the east' another army worked with 

tireless strength. For six years the mighty task went on. The 

ends of the two tracks came closer and closer together. At 

last the rails from the East met the rails from the West. 

On May 10, i860, at a place called Promontory, in Utah, The.Iast 
' " spike IS 

the last spike was driven. It was a spike of gold, given by driven 

California. Six hundred men from all parts of the country 
were there to honor the great work. With a silver sledge • 
Leland Stanford drove the spike, wdiile men cheered, locomo- 
tives blew their whistles, and b-^lls rang. With each blow 
that Stanford struck, a signal was sent over the telegraph 
wires to San Francisco. And in that city the great bell on the 
City Hall clanged out in time with the blows of the sledge. 

To all parts of the world the news went out : "The Pacific 
railroad is completed!" It made the people of California wild 
with joy. In San Francisco and Sacramento great parades and 
celebrations were held. The people of the entire country 
rejoiced. The East and the West were one. They were tied 
together with bands of steel. 

FORGING ONWARD 

43. A Nev/ Age Begins. The rough old times of the The 
Argonauts, the struggles of the pioneers, the "days of gold," wealth 
were over. With the coming of the railroad a new age dawned 



46 The Story of Our State 

for California. And what a wonderful age it was to be ! 
What a glorious age it is ! Our wealth is no longer in our gold, 
though plenty of that remains. A greater and a better wealth is 
in our farms, orchards, factories and railroads ; in the thriving 
business and industry of our people. 

The days of gold were days to wonder at. They were days 
of strong men and mighty deeds. But this new age, this age 
of industry and commerce, is a nobler one. Gold is worth only 
money. Industry and commerce are worth far more because 
they give all people a way to earn a living. All the gold may 
be dug from the mountains, but industry and commerce will 
last as long as men are willing to work. 
Trouble 44, Hard Times. The new age began dark and gloomv 

about . . , f^ 111 r^ t' 

Chinese as better times often do. So many people had come to Lali- 

^^^°'' fornia that there was not enough work to go around. People 
suffered from what we call "hard times." Many citizens 
thought that the trouble was all due to the Chinese. Working- 
men from China had come to the state in great numbers. They 
worked for very low wages. White men could never think of 
living on the money that was paid to these yellow men from 
across the sea. Because of their low wages, the Chinese were 
hired to do much of the work in the state. So the American 
workmen cried, "The Chinamen are getting all the work and 
we are getting none! We shall starve!" 
The It is hard to say whether the Chinese really caused the hard 

exc usion ^j^^^^^ ^ ^^^^ most of our people put the blame upon them. 
Hoodlums and ruffians often treated them with great cruelty. 
Many people declared that the Chinese would have to go. For 
a while it looked as though every Chinaman would be shipped 
from California. At last, however, people began to see that if 
a law were passed forbidding Chinese laborers to come into 
America, the Chinese problem would not be a source of trouble 
after a time. In 1882 the United States Congress passed the 



The Story of Our State 



47 



Chinese Exclusion Act. This law said that Chinese working- 
men could not come to this country for ten years. It said noth- 
ing about sending away the Chinamen already here. We still 
have a law which keeps Chinese laborers from coming into the 
United States. 

45. A New Constitution. You have already learned how 
the men of 1849 "^^^ at jMonterey and made a State Constitu- 
tion. That Constitution was the law of California for thirty 
years. In 1879 the age of commerce and industry had come. 
Men began to think that a new Constitution was needed ; one 




New laws 
for a 
new age 



that would better suit the new life of the people. In all parts 
of the state elections were held and men were chosen to 
go to the second constitutional convention of California. 
The Constitution that was written is the one that we now 
have. But we have changed it and added to it a great many 
times. A change in the Constitution is called an amendment. 
An amendment can be made only by vote of the people. If 
most of the voters are in favor of it, it is written into the 
Constitution. 

46. Los Angeles and Its Growth. Until 1880 the city of 
Los Angeles \vas but a sleepy little town inhabited mostly by 
Mexicans. About that time the Southern 'Pacific and Santa Fe 



Los 

Angeles 
becomes 
a great 
city 



48 The Story of Our State 

railroads extended their lines to Los Angeles, and from that 
day the growth of the city has been faster than that of any 
other city in the United States. People from all parts of the 
country, attracted by the chances for business and by the lovely 
climate, have made their homes there. There are now miles 
and miles of Smooth streets lined with beautiful residences 
and gardens, business blocks, schools and churches. The 
increase of the city's business, manufacturing and population 
has made people wonder. A fine system of electric railways 
connects the city with all the neighboring towns. The ever- 
active citizens have brought about the improvement of San 
Pedro harbor so that Los Angeles now has an excellent sea- 
port. They have built a great aqueduct 209 miles long to 
carry water to the city from the Owens river in the Sierras of 
Inyo county. 
Other But the growth of southern California has not been in Los 

commu^- Angeles alone. Pasadena, Riverside, Redlands and San Ber- 
nities iiardino are beautiful and growing towns. San Diego, with its 
fine harbor, has increased rapidly in population and wealth. 
Throughout southern California there are thriving towns too 
numerous to mention. 

47. The Story of the Orange. Much of the wealth of 
southern California comes from the growing- of the navel 
orange. That part of our country is famous as the favorite 
home of this orange and it is grown there in the greatest 
quantities. 
Trees The story of how the navel orange was introduced takes us 

Brazil back to the year 1870. In that year the L^nited States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture brought some small navel orange trees 
from Bahia in Brazil and planted them in the greenhouses 
at Washington. It was the purpose of the Department of 
Agriculture to see if this variety of the orange could be grown 
profitably in our country. It happened that Mrs. Luther C. 
Tibbits, of Riverside, California, had some friends in the city 



The Story of Our State 



49 



of Washing-ton who were interested in the new orange. These 
friends sent three small navel trees to ]\Irs. Tibbits. Mr. and 
Mrs. Tibbits planted the trees, 
and two of them grew and 
bore fruit. Their first suc- 
cessful crop was in 1S79. 

The new trees became the 
wonder and wealth of south- 
ern California. Orange grow- 
ers at once saw that there 
was a fortune in this new 
Brazilian variety. They had 
been growing the seedling 
orange. Some of the growers 
fastened buds from the navel 
orange trees into the bark of 
the old trees in such a way 
that new branches grew from 
the old trunks. And these 
new branches bore navel oranges. That is the way the great 
navel orange industry of California began. Those trees that 
]\Ir. and Mrs. Tibbits planted were the parents of numberless 
trees. 

48. The Spanish- American War. In 1898 came the excit- The 

CPU I S6 

ing- events of the Spanish-American war. When it was known of the 
that war was about to begin, the battleship Oregon, the pride of Of'ego" 
the Pacific, received orders to hasten to join the Atlantic fleet 
near Cuba. The Oregon steamed with all speed from the 
Puget Sound navy yard to San Francisco, where it took on 
provisions. It then departed under full steam on the fastest 
voyage ever made by a battleship, up to that time. There was 
no wireless telegraph in those days, so no direct news could 
be received from the Oregon after it left our shores. As 




THE PARENT NAVfiL ORANGE TREE STILI. 
CROWING AT RIVERSIDE 



50 The Story of Our State 

a result, many were the rumors that the ship had been sunk 
by torpedoes, and that other disasters had befallen it. News 
finally came that our favorite ship had joined the Atlantic fleet 
in safety. And when it was learned that the voyage of 15,000 
miles had been made in the wonderful time of fifty-nine days, 

the hearts of all Cali- 
f^^^2--- i fornians were filled 




THE OREGON 



j^^ jtrK^C^"^ ^ ^Mth pride, since the 

^^y^^^-r^^^^^tE!^^^S^^^y^^^^O)cgon was built in 
s- :;.^..-.-»*j3ei5rr-«r-^"- .- -'■^^ .^^^^^i^^^^, San Francisco. 

^-^^^?¥i.:^r^ The call for volun- 
^^%fcs%j£2^^^*^^;;j%: _% --^^^ tcers to jom the colors 

brought thousands of 
young men from all 
The parts of the state. It was necessary to send to the front 

fo^rnia ^nly twelve companies of these volunteers. These companies 
yolun- made up the famous First regiment. This regiment took 

teers '■ ^ ^ * 

a very prominent part in the capture of Manila and in other 

fighting that occurred in the Philippines. Its return after 

the war was celebrated with great rejoicings. 

^^^j-*!'® The Spanish-American war brought the Philippine islands 
war did ^ & 1 1 

for us under the control of the United States. That was a very 
important event, for it meant that the dominion of our nation 
would now stretch beyond the seas. But to California espe- 
cially it was a great event, indeed. Our ownership of the 
Philippines meant a great increase of our commerce in the 
Pacific. Most of this new commerce would pour through the 
ports of California. That meant more business and more 
wealth for the state. 

SUGGESTIONS INTENDED TO HELP THE PUPIL 

The Leading Facts. /. After the Mexican war California 
was under the military government of the United States. 
2. A disagreement arose as to whether California should 



The Story of Our State 51 

become a state or a territory, j. A constitutional convention 
was held, and a state constitution was adopted. 4. After 
much argument in Congress, California was admitted as a free 
state. 5. San Francisco grew to be an important city after 
the discovery of gold. 6. Vigilance committees were formed 
in San Francisco to preserve law and order. /. The Civil 
war broke out and California stood by the Union. 8. The 
stagecoach did the work of railroads, and the pony express 
carried the overland mails, p. Men saw the great future of 
California and built the transcontinental railroad. 10. With 
the coming of the railroad, an age of industry and commerce 
began. 11. The workmen of California made a protest 
against Chinese cheap labor, and the Chinese exclusion act was 
passed by Congress. 12. In 1879 a new State Constitution 
Avas adopted to meet the new conditions, /j. In 1880 Los 
Angeles and the south began a wonderful growth. 14. The 
navel orange was introduced into California from Brazil. 
ij. In 1898 the Spanish-American war broke out and many 
Californians volunteered. 

Study Questions. /. Why did the people of California 
want a constitution in 1849? -• ^^'hen the Constitution was 
written, what was said about slavery? j. What was said 
about public schools ? 4. VJho was the first American gov- 
ernor elected for California? 5. Name the different loca- 
tions of the State Capital. 6. Why did the Southern states 
object to the admission of California? 7. Why do we cele- 
brate September ninth? 8. W^hy did San Francisco grow so 
quickly? p. Describe the old San Francisco of the gold days. 
10. Tell why vigilance committees were organized in San 
Francisco, and what these committees did. //. What did 
California do about taking part in the Civil war? 12. Tell 
about the stagecoach. 75. Describe a trip of the pony ex- 
press. 14. Why did men think a railroad should be built? 
75. Tell about the building of the railroad. 16. What new 
life in California began when the days of gold were over? 
77. Why were the Chinese blamed for the hard times? 
18. What is the Chinese exclusion act? 7p. Why was a 
new Constitution written in 1879? 20. Tell about the growth 
of Los Angeles. 2T. Tell the story of the navel orange. 
22. Tell about the cruise of the Oresioii. 2^. How did Cali- 



52 The Story of Our State 

fornia help in the Spanish-American war? 2^. Why was our 
getting of the Phihppine Islands important to California? 

Suggested Readings. Admission of California : Hunt, 
California the Golden, 221-243; Bandini, History of California, 
173-188; Drake, The Making of the Great West, 285-288. 

Early San Francisco : Hunt, California the Golden, 256- 
281; Sexton, Stories of California, 169-179; Markham, Cali- 
fornia the Wonderful, 196-204. 

Stagecoach and Pony Express: Hunt, California the 
Golden, 284-287; Markham, California the IVonderfnl, 151- 

154- 

The Railroad: Hunt, California the Golden, 283-296; Ban- 
dini, History of California, 196-201 ; Sexton, Stories of Cali- 
fornia, 67-74. 

Chinese Exclusion : Hunt, California the Golden, 305-314; 
Bandini, History of California, 202-203. 

The New Constitution : Hunt, California the Golden, 
315-322; Bandini, History of California, 203-205. 

Los Angeles and the South : Bandini, History of Cali- 
fornia, 211-214; Markham, California the Wonderful, 220-238. 

The Orange : Bandini, History of California, 246-252 ; 
Sexton, Stories of California, 92-101. 



THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE 

THE RECENT YEARS 

Popu- 49. The Larger Life. The recent years have seen a great 

industry increase in population, industry and wealth. The growth of 

^""^liu the south has been mentioned, but much could be said of the 
wealth 

increase farther north. San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, 
San Jose and other cities about San Francicso bay; Sacra- 
mento, Chico, and many towns of the Sacramento valley ; 
Fresno, Bakersfield and Stockton in the San Joaquin valley, 
have all shown a development that is remarkable. We have 
recently grown to be an important manufacturing state. 
Among: all the states we stand about tenth in the value of 



The Story of Our State 



53 



things made in factories. Six railroad routes reach into Cah- 
fornia from other parts of the nation, and the state is inter- 
laced with steam and electric lines. Fruit growing, dairying, 
lumbering, mining, poultry keeping, and stock raising are 
generous sources of wealth. Barley, wheat, vegetables, and 
cattle feed are grown abundantly in most of the counties of 
the state. 

50. The Fortune in Oil. Only a few years ago our gold 
brought us more wealth than any other mineral product. But 
in 19 1 6 gold is in second place. The 
value of our oil product is over twice that 
of the gold. 

Go into Fresno, Orange, Kern, Los 
Angeles, Santa Barbara and \entura 
counties, and you will see the famous oil 
fields. You will stand in wonder at those 
forests of towers made of criss-cross 
beams. There are in some places acres 
and acres of them, with great storage 
tanks among them. There is a din of 
engines, a smell of oil in the air. Men 
in overalls are busy everywhere. 

Each one of the towers that you see is 
built over an oil well. The tower was 
used in drilling the well, and it is 
now used to support the pumping 
machinery that draws the thick, black 
oil from the wells. The oil is pumped into the storage tanks, 
and from there is forced through pipe lines that extend from 
the oil fields to the seaports. One of these pipe lines extends 
nearly 300 miles from the Kern county fields to Point Rich- 
mond on San Francisco bay. 

California is one of the greatest oil producing regions in 
the world. Water equal to the amount of oil we produce in a 




The great 
oil fields 



AN OIL WELL IN CALIFORNIA 



54 The Story of Our State 

Import- year would float 300 battleships. The industry brings millions 



ance 



of the of dollars into the state and gives employment to thousands 

industry ^f j.^gj, 

Oil in There was no sudden oil discovery in California as was the 

days case with gold. Oil was known in California as far back as 

the time of the mission fathers. Wells were not dug in that 

day, but the oil that seeped from the ground was used to put on 

,roofs and for other purposes. Several oil wells were dug 

between 1850 and i860, but no profit was made because men 

did not know how to refine the peculiar heavy, black oil of the 

California fields. 

The greai ij-, 1^02 the Los Angeles oil field was opened up and much 
boom -^ ° ATA 

excitement resulted. In three years 300 wells were dug. The 

greatest boom was in 1899 when the Bakersfield region was 
found to be rich in petroleum. The discovery there made the 
little town of Bakersfield a large city almost in a day. That 
locality suddenly became one of the richest oil fields in the 
world. Since 1892 the oil industry has spread to many local- 
ities in the state, and has grown with wonderful rapidity. 
How 51^ Irrigation. One who travels through the farm and 

water ° . . ^ 

is fed to orchard regions of California sees many places where canals 

XL. - I a nH 

have been dug to carry water through the land. If he fol- 
lows one of these canals, the traveler finds that ditches lead 
from them. Through the ditches the water flows to gardens, 
fields and orchards. This system of watering the soil is what 
we call irrigation. 
The Not long ago it was a great risk, in some parts of California 

for it for a man to plant his acres with orchards and gardens. Dry 
winters might come, leaving the trees and plants to wither and 
bear no fruit. To meet such a danger, irrigation systems were 
dug. Such systems were also made to water dry lands, where 
no crops, or only poor ones, could be grown. Thousands of 
acres in the state are now watered for this purpose. Irrigation 



The Story of Our State 55 

is doing more than anything else to increase and improve 
agriculture in California. 

One may ask where this water comes from that flows The 
through the canals and ditches to the rescue of the orchardist If'^^ter 
and the farmer. It comes from distant rivers. It comes from 
great lakes that men have made by building cement dams across 
river channels. It comes from reservoirs fed from artesian 
wells. It is pumped from the earth by gasoline engines and 
electric motors. Sometimes in one way, sometimes in another, 
the life-giving water is fed into the irrigating systems and sent 
for miles across the land. 

Most of the irrigation has been done by companies and corpo- State and 

. , . nation 

rations. But the state and national governments are taking taking 
more and more interest in it. The great irrigation system ^ ^^" 
at Orland was planned and made by the national government 
for the benefit of the people in that district. Many plans for 
greater irrigation systems are under way. 

52. The Story of Imperial. In the southeastern part of The idea 
our state lies the Colorado desert. A man once visited this arid nnan 
region, and as he looked out over the desert he was seized with 
a great idea. Why couldn't the waters of the Colorado river be 
let into this sun-baked land, so that it would bear fruit in place 
of the thorny cactus ? Filled with this idea, the man talked with 
others who had money. Together they formed a company 
and set to work. 

The result of their labors is one of the wonders of the world. A great 
They turned a large portion of the bleak desert into a garden ^°„^g '^ 
spot. And how simple it seems, now that it is done ! All that 
they did was to dig a canal from the Colorado river, smaller 
canals that branched from the main one, then smaller 
branches from these. Into the canals and ditches they turned 
the Colorado's waters, and these, irrigating the sands, made 
them rich and fertile. That is how Imperial county was 
changed from a desert into one of the world's richest regions. 



56 The Story of Our State 

The In the summer of 1905, shortly after the canals had been dug, 

break the river burst through the banks that had been made to hold it 

in check. It rushed across the land that was just blooming in 

its new life. It poured into Salton sea and that body of 

water rose seven inches a day. It flooded the towns of Calexico 

and Mexicali. It threatened to destroy the whole of the 

great work that the mighty builders had created. 

Fighting Time and apfain the heroic workers tried to dam up the 
the floods . . , , , , 1 , • 11 

escapuig river, but the angry waters destroyed the hurriedly 

built levees. After many trials, the work seemed to be done; 
but the army of workers had no sooner departed than another 
flood came, tore through the dam, and havoc was wrought 
again. Once more the men went at their task. This time 
they succeeded in building a mighty dam that turned the flood 
waters aside, and the torrent was tamed at last. That was in 
December of 1906. 
Moun- 53. The Conquest of Nature's Power. It is not in irriga- 

waters tion Only that the waters have been made to do a work of 
make wonder. The power of falling mountain streams is used to 
tricity make electricity which is sent through wires to all parts of the 
state. It is used for lighting purposes and for running electric 
cars. It is used for operating countless machines, forges and 
pumps. And how is it all done? 
Great There are places in the Sierras where vast lakes have been 

houses made by building dams across the canyons. Far below the 
lakes, power houses have been built. A power house is a place 
where there are machines for making electricity. From the 
lake great flumes are made, to carry the water along the moun- 
tain-side to some place high above one of the power houses. 
From this place the water shoots down the mountain in a 
huge pipe. The shooting water dashes through steel water- 
wheels. These powerful, whirring wheels turn the machines 
that make the electricity. 



The Story of Our State 57 

Wires as thick as a finger carry the electricity from the The 
power house across the mountains, valleys and plains. These mission 
wires loop from pole to pole, and from tower to tower, for ''"®^ 
hundreds of miles, carrying electricity to cities, towns, farms, 
oil wells and mines. In this way is the power of the mountain 
torrent turned to the use of man. 

54. Disaster and Rebuilding. April 18, 1906, is the date The 
of one of the worst disasters in the history of our country. ^^^°^ °^ 
Early in the morning of that day the counties around San earth - 
Francisco bay were visited by a terrible earthquake. Nothing 
like it had ever happened in the United States since the white 
man first settled here. For over a minute the earth shook with 
great violence. In many places buildings were destroyed, rail- 
ways twisted, pipe lines broken, and other damage done. J^t 
Stanford university many valuable buildings were thrown 
down. A large part of the city of Santa Rosa was shattered 
into ruins. At San Jose, Santa Clara, Palo Alto and other 
cities, much property was ruined. 

In San Francisco the shock of the earthquake was followed a city 
by a terrible fire. For over two days the flames raged across gtVoyed 
the city. The w^ater supply pipes had been broken and there 
was no way to stop the destruction. After the fearful havoc 
had been done the people of the city looked out upon a waste 
of ashes and smouldering ruins. 

The news of the great disaster awoke the sympathies of The 
people in all parts of the world. Trainloads and shiploads of rebut"/ 
food and clothing were sent to help those whose homes and "^^^^^ 
property had been destroyed. But help was not needed for heart 
long. The brave citizens soon turned to the task of building 
upon the ruins. Within a few short years nearly all traces of 
the disaster were gone from the cities and towns where the 
havoc had been wrought. A new and more beautiful San 
Francisco arose upon the ashes of the old. And from it all we 



58 The Story of Our State 

draw this lesson : Earthquake and fire may wreck and destroy, 
but courage and manhood will conquer in the end. 
The 55. Greater Rights for the People. In 191 1 the people 

voted in favor of some very important amendments to the 
State Constitution. One of these amendments gives the people 
the right to propose a law themselves. It is done by signing 
a petition. If a certain percentage of the voters sign the 
petition, the proposed law must be brought before the people 
at an election. If more than half of those who vote are -in 
favor of the proposed law, it becomes a law of the state. 
This right of the people is called the "initiative." Before 191 1 
only the legislature could bring forward new laws and vote 
on them. 

The ref- Another amendment to the Constitution provides something 
erendum , . _ , , . , , , i • i 

like this : If the legislature makes a law which a certain per- 
centage of the people do not want, these people can ask that a 
vote on that law be taken. If more than half of the voters are 
against it, the law is defeated and cannot be enforced. This 
right is called the "referendum." 

Women Still another amendment gives the women citizens of Cali- 

can vote ^ . , . , -r . , , 

forma the right to vote. In most 01 our states only the men 

can vote. We in California are proud that our state has given 
the women this right. The pioneer mothers who came to Cali- 
fornia amid hardships first taught us the value of women citi- 
zens, for from them we learned the truest lessons of self- 
sacrifice and devotion. By giving the women the right to vote 
we have placed a greater power for good in their hands. 
Elemen- 56. The Public Schools. True to the duties of good gov- 
catfon " ernment, we have developed one of the best systems of public 
schools in the nation. The elementary and intermediate 
schools stand as the foundation of this system. The education 
given in them is as good as can be found in such schools any- 
where in the world. The state supplies textbooks free to the 



TJic Story of Our State 59 

pupils of the elementary schools. There are eight normal 
schools where teachers are trained for teaching the elementary 
branches. 

Above the elementary schools are the high schools. Of The high 
these California has every reason to be proud. No high 
schools anywhere give a better education. Their teachers are 
among the best educated people in the state. The high schools 
train the boys and girls to take their parts as citizens and 
workers in the world. They also get them ready for college. 

In some of the cities there are special schools where unfor- Every 
tunate boys and girls who cannot learn very easily are taught, n^y jg 
There are also schools where the deaf, dumb and blind are offered 
given instruction. Many of the country Schools teach garden- 
ing and farming. There are schools where trades are taught. 
Most of the high schools teach shorthand, typewriting, book- 
keeping, and other subjects necessary in business life. There 
are night schools where young people who work can improve 
their knowledge. A chance for education is offered to every 
willing boy or girl. 

57. The Universities. The University of California is 
one of the largest universities in the United States. It is 
maintained by the state, and is located in the city of Berkeley. 
There are branches at San Francisco and Los Angeles, and 
there is a University farm at Davis where the best methods of 
farming are taught. Branch farm stations are located in 
several parts of the state. 

Professors. from the University make trips to the towns and The work 
cities to give lectures on various subjects. Much teaching is state 
done by mail. Thousands of farmers all over the state get ^g^sjty 
letters and books from the University, helping them greatly in 
their work of raising cattle and crops. During every summer 
vacation a University summer session is held at which hun- 
dreds of students gather to improve their education. 



6o Tlic Story of Our State 

Stanford Stanford University is another great school of higher educa- 
tion. Together with the University of CaHfornia, it ranks 
among the best universities in the country. Stanford Uni- 
versity is famous for its beautiful buildings, its excellent 
teachers, and the fine life of its students. 

^ nf ^^ California has several other excellent schools of higher 
colleges "=" 

learning. Among these are Mills college, Pomona college. 

Occidental college, the University of Southern California, and 

the University of Santa Clara. 

"The gift 58. The Canal and the Expositions. After four hundred 

canal years the dream of the old sea-rovers has come true. There 

is a middle passage-way from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The 

Panama canal has been built which has shortened the sea route 

from East to West by 8000 miles. 

To the people of California the canal has brought a great 

gift. It has increased our commerce with the Atlantic states 

and Europe. It has brought us people to settle upon our lands 

and develop our farming industry. It has made more factories, 

and more work for men to do. 

The The great Panama-Pacific exposition at San Francisco was 

Pacifi'c^" built in 191 5 to celebrate the joining of the oceans. Millions 

exposi- q£ dollars were spent to rear the exposition buildings, to 

illuminate them, and to lay out beautiful gardens. Within the 

walls of the imposing structures, the products and the arts of 

all nations were brought together. One could walk for days 

and days along the aisles and among the buildings and never 

cease to wonder. 

The To show what the canal means to them, the people of 

Call - .... 

fornia- southern California built the Panama-California exposition at 

exposT-^ San Diego. Here, again, the products and arts of many 

tion nations were shown. The exhibits were housed in beautiful 

buildings in the mission style. About them lovely tropical 

gardens were planted. 



The Story of Our State 6i 

59. The State Highway. California has undertaken the Awcr.- 

1 -1 1- r -r- r ■, hT\ derfiii 

builchng- ot a magnihcent system of state roads. These roads system 

are spoken of as the state highway. They are really a num- °^ '"°^*^^ 

ber of highways joined together. One main route runs from 

San Diego northward through the central valleys to the 

Oregon boundary. Another route extends along the seacoast 

for the entire length of the state. These wonderful roads, 

with their branches, are intended to connect the county seats of 

all the counties in the state. The routes cover a total distance 

of 3000 miles. It is one of the finest systems of roadways in 

the world. 

60. The Volcano. Lovers of California have long since Mount 

I 

declared that eVery Avonder of the earth was given to our state bursts 

by Nature. But as if to prove that her hidden powers are ^°^^^ 
endless, a volcano burst from Alt. Lassen early in 1914. Many 
times it threw out masses of rock, ash and steam. People 
a hundred miles away have seen the mighty cloud thrown sky- 
ward from the mountain. Lassen is the one and only active 
volcano in the United States. 

TRIUMPHS IN I^ITERATURE, ART AND SCIE;nCE;. 

We in California have been deep in the mighty task of 
building a great state. We are still young and growing, and 
busy at our work. But out of the noise of our sturdy progress, 
out of the rush of our forging, plowing and building, have 
risen the voices of writers, poets and thinkers. A book could 
be written about our men and women, past and present, 
whose brains have created some of the nation's finest literature 
and art. We can mention only a few of those whose names 
are best known. 

61. Early Writers. Xo name is better known in western ^^\ 
literature than that of Bret Harte. When a young man he 
came to California and went to the mining camps. He was 



62 



Tlic Stor\ of Our State 



Tl 



Mark 
Twain 



Steven- 
son 



Many 

writers 
in verse 




FRANCIS BRET HARTE 



deeply stirred by the romantic and exciting life. He wrote 

about what he saw, in the 
form of charming poems and 
stories. His works were 
published in England and 
America and won great praise. 
The world has laughed over 
his funny poem, the Heathen 
Chinee, and has wept over 
\\the tender story of M'liss. 
Samuel L. Clemens, better 
known as Mark Twain, was 
not a Californian, but he spent 
several years in San Francisco. 
He began his literary work here, and it was here that he wrote 
some of the best known of his early books. We are proud to be 
able to count him among the first of our writers because he is 
now looked upon as one of the great masters of the English 
tongue. 

Robert Louis Stevenson, the famous English story writer, 
lived for some time in San Francisco, at Monterey and near 
St. Helena. He wrote a great deal about us, and one of his 
books, The Silverado Squatters, is full of very interesting and 
amusing facts concerning his visit here. 

62. Poets. It would be impossible to give the names of 
all the Calif ornians who have written fine things in poetry. 
Bret Harte is one of them. Perhaps the best known is Joaquin 
Miller, called the poet of the Sierras. This rugged man, with 
his deep feeling and sympathy, has given us the bigness and 
meaning of nature, as California has taught it to him. He is 
the author of the widely read poem, Coliimhus. 

Ina Coolbrith and Edwin Markham are two other poets of 



The Story of Our State 63 

power. Ina Coolbrith began her writings in the early days of 
the state. She has written many fine poems about CaHfornia, 
as well as on other subjects. Edwin Markham, who was for 
years a teacher in California, won fame with his poem, The 
Man With the Hoe. He is the author of much beautiful and 
powerful verse. Others of our poets who stand high in the 
literary world are Charles Warren Stoddard, Edward Rowland 
Sill, John Vance Cheney and George Stirling. 

63. Novelists. Our best known novehsts are Frank Norris. Authors 
Jack London, JMary Austin and Gertrude Atherton. Frank bookT°"' 
Norris died when but a young man, but the books that he wrote 

were truly great. Jack London is one of the most popular 
novelists of our day. Mary Austin's strong, vivid stories and 
sketches are widely read works of literature. Gertrude Ather- 
ton began with stories dealing with California ; but she has now 
widened her field, and is read in Germany and England, as well 
as in America. Helen Flunt Jackson, though not a Californian, 
gave us the most famous of all California novels, Ramona. 
She was also the author of a charming book on the missions. 

64. John Muir. The name of John Muir is among the best a friend 

beloved of our writers. This man spent much of his lifc^ °f . 

^ IN at u re 

among the forests and mountains of the state. He loved them 
as no other man has loved them. In his writings he has tried 
to teach us the deep beauty of the peaks and gorges and trees 
and flowers of California. 

65. William Keith. California has produced many fine ^ master 
painters. Their works have gone into the art galleries and painter 
have shown the world the romance of California life, and the 
beauties of our mountains, meadows and flowers. Among all 

these painters the name of William Keith stands out. This man 
painted the Sierras and the woods. But he did more than 
paint them. He wrought into each picture a charm and a 
mystery that came from his soul. He was a great artist. 



64 Tlie Story of Our State 

Burbank 66. Luther Burbank. The name of Luther Burbank is well 
known among California boys and girls. The work he has 
done in improving plants in his gardens at Santa Rosa has 
brought him fame. Among his best-known productions are 
the spineless cactus, the Shasta daisy and the Burbank potato. 

TODAY AND TOMORROW 

Room 67. The Present and Its Opportunities. California is the 

for great 

numbers second largest state in the Union. Its territory is so great 

that we could find room in it for Massachusetts, Delaware, 
Maine, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, 
Vermont, New Hampshire and Ohio. And yet, in population 
California is twelfth among the states. New York city alone 
has nearly twice as many people as there are in our entire state. 
Think, then, how small our population really is, as compared 
with the size of our state. Think how great a number of 
people can still find homes within our borders. 
The _ California is justly famous for the great wealth that it pro- 

wealth duces. And yet it can produce several times as much. More 
and more land is being used for raising crops. Great 
plans for carrying water to the dryer and less useful lands are 
being completed. The Panama canal is bringing more people 
and greater commerce to our shores. 'Each year finds more 
factories and railroads within the state. 
Some- 68. The Future, Its Promise and Its Duties. We look to 

think ° the past with pride and admiration. We glory in what our 
about people have done. To the future we look with increasing 
wonder at its possibilities. Who can tell how great the wealth 
of our industries will grow? Who can foresee how great the 
number of our people will become ? 
Trueciti- Let US welcome the great things that the future holds in 
^^ store for us. At the same time let us stop and think of the 
duties that fall upon us. No state can succeed without good 



The Story of Our State 65 

citizens and wise government. And as industry and com- 
merce grow, the need for good citizens and wise government 
becomes greater. As the number of our people increases, the 
need for wise laws increases. Wise laws and good government 
we cannot have unless our people remain ever true to their 
duties as citizens. If the people fail in this, the future will fail. 
But the future will not fail, because the people of California 
will stand true. They will give their children an education. 
They will be honest and patriotic. They will vote only for 
Avhat they believe is right. And the young people will do their 
part by going to school and fitting themselves for their duties 
as citizens of the future. And because her people will stand 
true, California, with glad heart and welcoming hand, hails the 
great tomorrow. 

SUGGESTIONS INTENDED TO HElvP THE PUPIE 

The Leading" Facts, i. The recent years have brought a 
great increase in population and growth of cities. 2. There 
has been a wonderful development in agriculture, manufacture, 
and transportation, j. The oil industry has grown to mam- 
moth proportions. 4. Irrigation has been developed to a 
great extent, and has had a decided influence on the develop- 
ment of agriculture. 5. By means of irrigation, Imperial 
county Avas created. 6. Water power for making electricity 
has come into large use, and the electricity is sent throughout 
the state. 7. In 1906 a great earthquake shook the counties 
about San Francisco bay, and a fire wrought havoc in San 
Francisco. 8. A wonderful rebuilding followed the earth- 
quake and fire. p. The initiative and referendum, and votes 
for women, have given greater rights to the people of the state. 

10. An excellent system of public schools has been developed. 

11. The universities do a fine work of higher education. 

12. The opening of the Panama Canal was celebrated with 
great expositions at San Francisco and San Diego, ij. A 
wonderful system of state highways has been constructed. 
14. In 1914 Mt. Lassen burst forth as an active volcano. 
i^. There were several prominent writers in the early days of 



66 Tlie Story of Our State 

the state. i6. Some noted poets are natives of California. 
//. California has produced famous novelists. i8. John 
Muir wrote about the forests and mountains of California. 
ig. William Keith was our greatest painter. 20. Luther 
Burbank has done much to improve horticulture. 21. The 
present holds out great opportunities. 22. The future is full 
of promise, but imposes serious duties. 

Study Questions. /. Tell about California's development 
in population, agriculture and business. 2. What was the 
earliest use of oil in California? 5. What about the extent of 
the oil industry today? 4. Locate the great oil fields. 
5. Describe the method of irrigation. 6. Wliat has irriga- 
tion done for California? 7. Tell how Imperial county was 
made. 8. Tell about the break in the Colorado river, 
p. Explain how water power is used to make electricity. 
10. What are the uses of electricity? 11. Describe the 
effects of the great earthquake. 12. Tell about the burning 
and rebuilding of San Francisco, ij. What is the initiative ? 
14. What is the referendum ? i^. What great right has 
California given to the women citizens? 16. What can be 
said of California's system of public schools ? 77. Tell about 
the work of the universities. 18. What has the Panama canal 
done for California? 19. Describe the routes of the State 
highway. 20. Who were the early writers of California? 
21. Name some of our greatest poets. 22. Name our most 
famous novelists. 2^. Why is the name of John Muir hon- 
ored? 24. Tell about the work of William Keith. 2^. Why 
is Luther Burbank well known ? 26. Tell of the great oppor- 
tunities of today. ^7. What can you say of the possibilities 
of the future ? 28. What serious duties fall upon the citizens 
of the state? 

Suggested Readings. California's Resources: Sexton, 
Stories of California, 75-158; Bandini, History of California, 
229-252 ; Hunt, California the Golden, 328-342 ; Markham, 
California the Wonderful, 155-195. 

Literature and Art: Markham, California the Wonderful, 

3^^-377- 

The Earthquake: Bandini, History of California, 225-228. 



The Story of Our State 



67 



PRONOUNCING INDEX 

Key to Markings. — a as in mate, a as in cat, a as in father, a as in 
last; e as in me, e as in let, e as in veil, e as in term; i as in pin, i as in 
police; as in vote, 6 as in lot; u as in rude; y as in hymn. 

Note. — Only words peculiar to California history, and of difficult or 
doubtful pronunciation, are given. The pronunciations follow those of 
M'ebster^s Intertiational Dictionary , with a few modifications. Note, 
in the case of the Spanish words, that good English usage does not 
always follow the original tongue. 



ar'go-naut 

Bal-bo'a 

Bode'ga 

Cabrillo {ca-brel'yo) 

Car-meF 

Cahuenga (ca-wen'ga) 

Chi'co 

Cas'tro 

C6-lo''ma 

Co-lo-ra'do 

Do-lc'res 

El Ca-uii'no Re-al' 

El D6-ra'do 

fan-dan'go 

Flo'res 

Fre'mont 

Gillespie {gil-les'pi) 

Grin'go 

Kearny {kar'ny) 

Los An'ge-les 

Mon-te-rey' 

Or-te'ga 

Pi'co 

Por-to-la' 

Ra-mo'na 

ran-che'ro 

ran'chg 

ro-de'o 



Sac-ra-men'to 

San Ber-nar-d'i'no 

San Car'los 

San Di-e'go 

San Fran-cis'co 

San Ga'bri-el 

San Jose {ho-sa') 

San Juan {hoo-iin') Bautista 

{bough-tes' tix) 
San Juan (hoo-ati') Cap-'is-tra'no 
San Lu'is Rey (re) 
San Pe'dro 
San'ta Bar'ba-ra 
San'ta Ca-ta-li'na 
San'ta Cla'ra 
S^n'ta Cruz {kroos) 
San'ta Inez (e-nes') 
seiiora (sen-yo'ra) 
seiiiorita (sen-yo-ri'ta) 
Ser'ra, Junipero (hoo-ni'pa-ro) 
Si-er'ra Ne-va'da 
So-la'no 
So-no'niil 
Sutter (soo'ter) 
Vallejo {viil-ya'ho) 
vaquero {va-ka'ro) 
Viscaino {ves-kix-e'no) 



THE INDEX, 



ADMISSION TO UNION, 39. 
Amendments to Constitution, 58. 
Americans in California, 21. 
Aqueduct, Los Angeles, 48. 
Argonauts, 30. 
Art, 61. 

Atherton, Gertrude, 63. 
Austin, Mary, 63. 

BAKERSFIELD, 52. 

Balboa, 3. 

Bandini, quoted, 13. 

Bear Flag rebellion, 25. 

Eenicia, 38. 

Berkeley, 52. 

Bodega bay, Russians at, 16. 

Burbank, Luther, 64. 

Burnett, Peter H., 38. 

CABRILLO, 5. 

Cahuenga, treaty of, 28. 

California republic, 26. 

Californians, revolt of, 25. 

Camino Real, 12. 

Capitals of California, 37, 38. 

Carmel mission. 11. 

Castro, Jose, 24. 

Central Pacific railroad, 44. 

Cheney, John Vance, 63. 

Chico, 52. 

Chinese in California, 46-47. 

Civil war, 42. 

Clemens, Samuel L., 62. 

Coloma, 29. 

Colorado river break, 54. 

Columbus, 3. 

Constitution of 1849, 37; of 1879, 47. 

Conventions, constitutional, 37, 47. 

Coolbrith, Ina, 62. 

Cortes, 3, 6. 

Crocker, Charles, 44. 

DAVIS, University farm at, 59. 
De Soto, 3. 
Dolores, mission, 11. 
Donner party, 22-24. 
Drake, Sir Francis, 5. 
Drake's bay, 6. 

EARTHQUAKE, 57. 
Education, 58. 
El Dorado, 31. 
Electricity, 56. 
Exclusion of Chinese, 47. 
Expositions, 60. 



FANDANGO, 19. 

Fires in San Francisco, 40. 

Flores, General, 27. 

Fort Ross, 16. 

Forty-niners, 30. 

Fremont, John C, 24, 27, 28. 

Fresno, 52, 53. 

GILLESPIE, Lieutenant, 25. 
Gold, discovery of, 28. 
Gold rush, 29. 
Gringos, 24. 

HARTE, BRET, 61. 
Highway, state, 60. 
Hopkins, Mark, 44. 
Houses, Spanish, 18. 
Huntington, Collis P., 44. 
Hydraulic mining, 33. 

IMPERIAL COUNTY, 54. 
Indians of California, 3. 
Initiative, 58. 
Irrigation, 54. 

JACKSON, HELEN HUNT, 63. 

KEARNY, GENERAL STEPHEN, 27. 

Kern, 53. 

Keith, William, 63. 

King, Thomas Starr, 42. 

LASSEN, MOUNT, 60. 

Literature, 61. 

London, Jack, 63. 

Los Angeles, 17, 27, 47, 53. 

MAGELLAN, 3. 

Markham, Edwin, 62. 

Marshall, James, 28. 

Mesa, battle of, 28. 

Miller, Joaquin, 62. 

Mills college, 60. 

Mining, 31. 

Mining camps, 33-34. 

Missions, 8-14. 

Modoc, 3. 

Monterey, 6, 10, 12, 17, 24, 37. 

Monterey bay. 9. 

Mt. Lassen, 60. 

Muir, John, 63. 

NAVEL ORANGE, 48. 
New Spain, 7. 
Norris, Frank, 63. 
Novelists, 62. 



The Indcx 



OAKLAND, 52. 
Occidental college, 60. 
Oil, 53. 

Orange, 48, 53. 
Oregon, battleship, 49. 
Ortega, 9. 

PALO ALTO, 57. 

Panama-California exposition, 60. 

Panama canal, 60. 

Panama-Pacific exposition, 60. 

Pasadena, 4S. 

Paso de Bartolo, 28. 

Philippine islands, 50. 

Pico, General Andres, 27. 

Pizarro, 6. 

Placer mining, 32. 

Poets, 62. 

Polk, President, 24. 

Pomona college. 60. 

Pony express, 42. 

Portola, 6, 7-10. 

Presidios, 11, 17. 

Promontory points, 45. 

Pueblos, 17. 

RAILROADS, 44-45. 

Ramona, 27. 

Ranchos, 18. 

Redlands, 48. 

Referendum, 58. 

Riley, General Bennet, 36. 

Riverside, 48. 

Rodeo, 19. 

Russians in California, 15. 

SACRAMENTO, 38, 43, 44, 52. 

San Bernardino, 48. 

San Carlos mission, 11. 

San Diego bay, 5. 12. 

San Diego, town, 17, 48, 60. 

San Diego mission, 8, 10. 

San Francisco, 12, 17, 39, 52. 

San Francisco bay, 9, 30. 

San Gabriel, battle of the. 28. 

San Gabriel mission, 11, 20. 

San Jose, 11, 38, 52, 57. 

San Juan Bautista mission, 11. 

San Juan Capistrano mission, 11. 



San Luis Obispo, 11. 

San Luis Rey mission, IL 

San Miguel mission, 11. 

San Pasqual, 27. 

San Pedro harbor, 48. 

Santa Barbara, 11, 17, 53. 

Santa Barbara mission, 11. 

Santa Catalina, 6. 

Santa Clara college, 60. 

Santa Cruz, 17. 

Santa Inez mission, 11. 

Santa Rosa, 57. 

Schools, 58. 

Serra, Junipero, 7-11. 

Sill, Edward Rowland, 63. 

Slavery question, 38. 

Sloat, Commodore, 26. 

Sonoma, 25. 

Spanish-American war, 49. 

Stagecoach, 42. 

Stanford, Leland, 42, 44, 45. 

Stanford university, 60. 

Stevenson, Robert Louis, 62. 

Stirling, George, 63. 

Stockton, town, 52. 

Stockton, Commodore, 26-27. 

Stoddard, Charles Warren, 63. 

Suffrage, woman, 58. 

Sutter, Captain John A., 16, 21, 28. 

Sutter's fort, 22. 

TIBBITS, Mr. and Mrs. Luther C, 48. 
Twain, Mark, 62. 

UNION PACIFIC railroad, 44. 
Universities, 59. 
University farm, 59. 
University of California, 59. 
University of Southern California, 60 



VALLEJO, GENERAL, 

Vallejo, town, 38. 

Vaqueros, 18. 

Ventura, 53. 

Vigilance committees, 4L 

Viscaino, 69. 

Volcano, 60. 

WRITERS, 61. 



-26. 



